President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih says decentralized governance is the most significant administrative change the country has ever seen. The President made this remark in his opening address at the third Viavathi Rajje conference being held on Gan Island of Laamu Atoll.

The President said that the development projects spearheaded by the administration are carried out in a manner that would enable every citizen to attain self-determination and build prosperous lives with their families. He also highlighted the Maldives Transport Link (RTL) initiative that facilitated transportation to an unprecedented level and revived the economic activities of individual islands.

In his speech, the President underscored the administration’s initiatives to strengthen the healthcare system. He said that the expansion of the health sector is currently underway with a specialist doctor outreach program and mobile laboratory services targeted toward islands that lack these services.

Speaking about the administration’s minimum wage policy, President Solih particularly noted that the initiative eliminated the biggest obstacle to attracting professional principals and teachers for the education sector. He added that the policy ensured financial stability for many and that this transformative remedy to the education sector had been lagging for too long.

Elaborating on the successes of the education sector, the President stated that the changes pioneered by the administration were evident from the number of students from remote islands that received the High Achievers Awards. He noted that these students were competing with the rest of the world and that the smaller schools in the islands had proven that “Jazeera Maldives” was on the right track.