While 77% of the works need to be completed in the Thilamale’ Bridge development project, only 27% of the works have been completed as per the new government.
President’s Office Under-Secretary for Public Policey Mohamed Firzul Abdulla Khaleel said the reports compiled by the transitional committee showed that just 27% of the project completed, which has constituted the need for an investigation into the delay.
“The foremost thing we need to do is assess the progress and condition of the work, and identify the hindrances, to understand what challenges have posed against the progress of the project,” Firzul said.
He further noted that this investigation has been included in the “Week-14” agenda of the current government, which is a list of objectives the President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu-led government aims to achieve within the first 100 days.
He noted that the other particulars of the bridge project can only be formulated into the roadmap after the initial assessment.
The bridge project has a value of USD 500 million (MVR 7.7 billion), which was extended by the Indian government. Out of the total, USD 400 million was arranged through a line of credit established under the EXIM Bank of India with the remaining USD 100 million extended as a grant by the Indian government.
Additionally, the outgoing government acquired an additional USD 100 million line of credit from the EXIM Bank to expedite the project.
So far, a total of USD 109 million has been spent for the bridge project contracted to Afcons Infrastructure; the Indian contractor handling the largest-ever infrastructural development project in the Maldives, eclipsing the China-handled Sinamale’ Bridge.
Though the previous government reported that the bridge structure will connect Male’ City with Vilimale’ by August 2023, it did not happen which Afcons attributed to unmitigated hindrances such as the spontaneity in the change of ocean currents in the channel between Male’ City and Vilimale’.