Pres. Muizzu: Corruption most prevalent among low and mid-ranking jobs

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, on Tuesday, has suggested that corruption is most prevalent among individuals employed in low and mid-ranking jobs.

Speaking during the official reception held on Tuesday morning to commemorate this year’s Republic Day, the President, citing that corruption is deeply rooted across all countries, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to eradicating corruption.

The President added that strengthening governance through greater transparency and accountability remains a top national priority. He described his administration’s ‘Maldives 2.0’ project – an initiative driving digital transformation across Maldives – as one of the most ambitious undertakings to establish a corruption-free system in the Maldives.

“In most cases, corruption is committed, or spearheaded by individuals who have the opportunities to do so. It [corruption] is most prevalent among the lowest to mid-ranking jobs. It does occur in higher-ranking jobs as well,” he said.

According to the President, an individual who has the opportunity to gain illicit benefits from a citizen who goes to them for a service will likely engage in corruption, with such cases particularly common in obtaining and renewing visas.

Referring to the complete digitalization of Maldives Immigration’s services on Monday, said an automatic system established in this regard would eliminate chances of corruption.

He noted that one of the main priorities of the 2026 State Budget is to deliver public services through the Maldives 2.0 initiative, a fully digitalized system. He noted that this transition represents a crucial step towards achieving transparency and accountability in public service delivery.

The President affirmed that the comprehensive work of Maldives 2.0 will continue throughout 2026. The three-year initiative is expected to be completed by mid-2028.