Male’ City Mayor Adam Azim states that the city council is exploring the possibility of canceling the contracts given to two separate companies for the development of the fish market in the capital city during President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s term.

The Ministry of Infrastructure has revealed a major initiative to construct a six-story wet market building at the site of the existing fish market.

The ministry indicated that financing had been secured and the contractor was prepared to commence construction, but the project was still on pause because the city council did not transfer the land.

In the meantime, the city council attributes the delay in the land transfer to two different contracts given previously for project development, resulting in a legal entanglement.

Azim informed Sun on Tuesday that the city council is exploring the possibility of ending the contracts to transfer the land to the ministry.

"We cannot transfer land that has already been granted to someone else, correct?" “Our existing strategy is to terminate the two agreements and transfer the land to the government, the ministry,” he stated.

The initial USD 6.1 million contract for the fish market initiative was granted following a competitive bidding process when President Muizzu was the city's mayor. However, in the transitional phase after President Muizzu's victory in the 2023 presidential election and his inauguration, and before Mayor Adam Azim's win in the January 2024 by-election, the city council voided the initial contract and granted the project to a different party for an elevated cost of USD 9.6 million.

The matter attracted media scrutiny in August 2025 when Azim expressed worries during a city council meeting, stating that the new contract had no documentation confirming its approval, was overpriced, and contained conditions that were extremely disadvantageous to the council.

Azim mentioned that the council could lose ownership of the land because of a clause in the second contract stating that the council would relinquish rights to the land to the contractor if it failed to make the complete payment.

The council tried to organize sessions to address the problem. However, the meetings were called off because there was no quorum.

This was when the governing People’s National Congress (PNC) maintained a majority in the council. However, the primary opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has gained control of the council following the elections in April.

The Ministry of Infrastructure intends to execute a project costing MVR 117 million to create a six-story wet market facility at the site of the existing fish market.