Wet market complex delayed as council withholds land despite four reminders, ministry says

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development says work on the new Wet Market Complex has been unable to begin because the Malé City Council has not handed over the required land, despite the ministry sending four letters over the past two months.

According to the ministry, it has repeatedly requested the council to transfer the plot, and detailed the correspondence exchanged between the two sides:

• 29 March 2026: First letter requesting the handover of the land  

• 11 April 2026: Contractor requests permission to enter the site after financial arrangements are completed  

• 12 April 2026: Second letter asking for the land to be handed over before 18 April  

• 30 April 2026: Mayor responds, saying he wishes to meet the minister before transferring the land  

• 3 May 2026: Third letter requesting handover before 7 May  

• 18 May 2026: Fourth letter requesting handover before 31 May  

The ministry said that despite these repeated communications, the land has still not been transferred, delaying the start of the project.

ނޫސް ބަޔާން: މާލޭ ވެޓް މާކެޓް ތަރައްޤީކުރުމާ ގުޅޭ pic.twitter.com/DD3cRbAOrk

— Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Dev. (@MIHUDmv) May 19, 2026

It added that all administrative and financial arrangements have been completed and the contractor is ready to mobilise. The ministry warned that each day of delay increases project costs and prolongs the period during which the public is deprived of essential market services.

The government aims to begin the project as soon as possible, the ministry said.

The contract to develop the modern market complex on the current local market site was awarded to Trusten Maldives Pvt Ltd. The ministry noted that while the project was initially valued at MVR 126 million, the cost has since been reduced to MVR 116,999,624.94.

The project includes a six‑storey wet market building with a basement parking area, a fish market on the ground floor, and a vegetable market across the first three floors. A food court will be developed on the fourth floor. The building will span approximately 85,000 square feet.

The project is scheduled for completion within 600 days, with repayment structured over 50 months.