Street name board project awarded for MVR 3.9m, Council says

The Male' City Council has clarified that the installation of street name boards in Male' and Vilimale' is being carried out for MVR 3.9 million, rejecting claims that the project costs MVR 25 million.

The clarification follows a report quoting Deputy Mayor Mohamed Areesh, who alleged that a MVR 25 million contract for installing name boards had been awarded without council approval.

In a statement, the council said the project is part of Point 3.14 of the Strategic Action Plan approved in May 2021. The tender was opened following a public announcement on October 7 last year, and seven bidders submitted proposals.

According to the council, the MVR 25 million figure represents the combined total of all seven bids, not the value of the awarded contract. The project is being executed for MVR 3.9 million, the amount proposed by the bidder who received the highest evaluation score.

The council also stressed that the work is not being carried out by seven individuals or entities, and urged media outlets to verify information with reliable sources before publication.

Installation of the new street name boards began last week, with Mayor Adam Azim participating in the work.