When President Dr Mohamed Muizzu pressed a few buttons and made the first cash withdrawal from the brand-new Bank of Maldives Self Service Banking ATM in Kamadhoo, it might have seemed to some like a modest ceremony. An ATM inauguration is not the kind of event that usually makes headlines, unless you live on an island that has never had one before.
For the residents of Kamadhoo, this is more than a machine. It is a door to independence. Until now, a simple act like withdrawing cash meant travelling to another island, relying on irregular ferry schedules, or paying extra for speedboat trips. The cost was not just in money, but in time, convenience, and opportunity.
With the ATM in place, Kamadhoo’s people can now access their funds instantly, 24 hours a day, without leaving the island. For shopkeepers, it means easier cash management. For the elderly and pensioners, it means dignity in being able to collect their money without assistance or travel.
This initiative is part of a nationwide push to ensure that all inhabited islands in the Maldives have access to BML’s self-service banking facilities. It reflects a broader vision where the conveniences that urban centres take for granted are extended to every community, no matter how small or remote.
In a country spread across hundreds of islands, equal access to basic services is not a given. Each ATM, health post, school upgrade, or harbour renovation is another brick in the foundation of a more connected and more equitable Maldives.
While some may smile at the image of a President inaugurating an ATM, the reality is that for Kamadhoo this is progress. And progress, no matter the size of the ribbon cut, deserves to be recognised.
