President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu ratified significant amendments to the Decentralization Act (Act No. 07/2010) and the Urban Planning and Management Act (Act No: 15/2024) on Sunday. These legislative changes were approved by Parliament during its 32nd sitting of the second session on August 22, 2024.

The primary goal of the Decentralization Act’s amendment is to integrate land use plans developed by city and island councils into the overarching Physical Development Plan outlined in the Spatial Planning Bill. The revised act now mandates that development plans must align with the Physical Development Plan of the respective island or city, rather than the previously required land use plan. This Physical Development Plan will be officially recognized as the “Island Development Master Plan” for island councils and the “City Development Master Plan” for city councils. The amendments will come into effect alongside the commencement of the Spatial Planning Act.

In addition, the newly ratified Urban Planning and Management Act emphasizes sustainable infrastructure planning aimed at maximizing economic and social benefits from land. The act requires the development of regulations that support infrastructure planning in line with the Maldives government’s decentralization objectives. The President, advised by the cabinet, will set the national policy on infrastructure planning.

Key agencies involved in drafting, passing, and implementing the plans, as well as issuing land development permits, include the Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development, City and Island Councils, and agencies responsible for urban, industrial, and special economic zone development.

Under the Urban Planning and Management Act, land development will be regulated strictly, requiring adherence to standards and regulations established by the act. The act will come into effect six months from the date of ratification.

These legislative changes are set to shape the future of urban and regional planning in the Maldives, aligning with broader goals of sustainable development and effective decentralization.