Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has established Government Services Centres through a directive issued on Thursday 8 October 2026, according to a press release from the President’s Office (reference 2026-602).
What the directive does
The President’s Office said the centres were created through Directive No. 16/2026, issued under powers vested in the President by Article 116(a) of the Constitution. They will be administered by the Ministry of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology, the release said.
The release lists 18 centres, each named for an atoll: Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Lhaviyani, Kaafu, Alifu Alifu, Alifu Dhaalu, Vaavu, Meemu, Faafu, Dhaalu, Thaa, Laamu, Gaafu Alifu and Gaafu Dhaalu.
The stated purpose
According to the President’s Office, the centres have been established to ensure the provision of public services through integrated service centres, as stipulated in Article 65(b)(1) of the Decentralization Act (Act No. 7/2010). The directive also specifies the official names of the centres and the letter codes to be used in official correspondence, the release said.
The release did not describe which services each centre will offer, when they will open or what they will cost. Those details were not available in the source reviewed for this article.
Why It Matters
Integrated service centres are a way of organising public services in one place. Grounding the new centres in the Decentralization Act signals that the government is framing them as part of the existing decentralised structure rather than a separate system. Details on services, staffing and opening dates will determine whether residents in the atolls notice a practical difference.
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