An airport will be established in Kulhudhuffushi within first two years: Yameen

Presidential candidate of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Abdullah Yameen has said that an airport will be established in Kulhudhuffushi within the first two years of a PPM government.

Addressing the people of Kulhudhuffushi, Yameen said that PPM would make Kulhudhuffushi the pivot of development in the north, and by the end of the first 24 months of a PPM government, a domestic airport would have been established in Kulhudhuffushi.

“It’s not enough that there is an airport in Hanimaadhoo in this region. So our government, god willing, will establish a domestic airport in Kulhudhuffushi within the first 24 months. Ease of transport is the main basis of development,” said Yameen.

He said that three islands have been leased for resort development near Kulhudhuffushi but these projects have not been completed, and that PPM would settle the legal problems associated with these islands and ensure that the project are completed.

Yameen said that as part of the party’s efforts to facilitate employment opportunities for the youth, four out of the ten islands announced yearly by the government for resort development would be in the region of Kulhudhuffushi.

“Based on our calculations, in a PPM government, by the end of five years, 30 percent of islands will be in the region of Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu and Shaviyani atolls. Within five years, we will open 15 new resorts and create 7,500 jobs. About MVR 75 million will be earned by this region as salary alone,” he said.

Yameen also promised to dedicate some islands in the region for industrial work.

“Kulhudhuffushi has a population of more than 9,000 people, and if we include the people who travel to Kulhudhuffushi from nearby islands to live here or to visit the island, the population is more than 12,000,” said Yameen.

He said that Kulhudhuffushi had been determined as the regional centre of the north by the government of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and that the island has plenty of excess land.

“Kulhudhuffushi has the strength and capability of having a population of 20,000 people, and there is unity among the people of Kulhudhuffushi. Our government plans to make Kulhudhuffushi the centre in the north, and if we were to make two islands other than Male’ regional centres, Kulhudhuffushi will be one of them,” he said.

He said that on PPM’s development map, Kulhudhuffushi is the developmental pivot after Male’ and Seenu Hithadhoo.

“We are talking about things that we want to do. We are not saying this to get votes,” he said.