The Malé City Council has published details of land and property leases in Malé and Villimalé, revealing instances where land has been allocated in ways that raise concerns about equitable business practices.

Under the Decentralisation of Administrative Areas Act, city councils are required to compile and maintain a register of leased premises and other allocated land. The Malé City Council on Thursday gazetted a list of leased properties and land in both Malé and Villimalé.

The list includes information on flats, land, commercial outlets, market stalls and others allocated in the two islands.

According to the council, 162 flats have been allocated in Malé and Villimalé. Some do not have privatisation agreements in place.

The publication also lists 157 plots of land and properties allocated in Malé and Villimalé. Some have been granted for long periods with no rent, in exchange for specific services. Examples include tuck shops and land given to a sports club in return for maintaining or cleaning nearby public areas.

The records also show cases where companies pay high rents for some locations, such as the Carnival area, while other large plots have been allocated free of charge in exchange for development or replacement work.

One of the properties highlighted includes 1,691 square feet of land outside the original boundary and the tuck shop at Carnival Iskandhar Square. The land was granted for a ten-year period for the development of the square during President Mohamed Muizzu’s tenure as Mayor of Malé.

Given the commercial value of restaurant spaces in the Carnival area, the allocation raises questions among businesses regarding fairness in access to commercial land.

The council’s data further shows that 379 stalls have been rented out in the markets of Malé and Villimalé, while 479 locations have been allocated under other practices.