President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has restructured the Cabinet, reducing the total number of ministries from 20 to 15 and appointing 13 new Cabinet Ministers across two separate ceremonies at the President’s Office.
The first ceremony was held on Monday evening, during which 12 newly appointed Ministers were presented with their letters of appointment. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Uz Abdul Ghanee Mohamed, after which the Ministers signed the declaration of oath.
On Tuesday morning, Ahmed Shiyam was appointed as Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources at a separate ceremony held at the President’s Office. His oath of office was administered by Supreme Court Justice Uz Abdulla Hameed.
With these appointments, the Cabinet now comprises 15 members in total, including Attorney General Uz Ahmed Usham. A Defence Minister is yet to be appointed.
The newly appointed Ministers and their respective portfolios are as follows:
- Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises – Moosa Zameer
- Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology – Ali Ihusaan
- Minister of Foreign Affairs – Iruthisham Adam
- Minister of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development – Dr Ismail Shafeeu
- Minister of Health, Family and Welfare – Geela Ali
- Minister of Economic Development, Transport and Trade – Mohamed Saeed
- Minister of Islamic Affairs and Endowments – Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed
- Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation – Mohamed Ameen
- Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Fitness – Abdulla Rafiu
- Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage – Heena Waleed
- Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development – Dr Abdulla Muththalib
- Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy – Ali Shareef
- Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources – Ahmed Shiyam
The restructuring comes after 10 Cabinet Ministers submitted their resignations in a sudden move on Monday. The President’s Office said the resignations were accepted to create space for the positive changes President Muizzu wishes to introduce, in line with public sentiment.
As part of the restructuring, several previously separate ministries have been merged into single portfolios. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education have been combined, as have the Ministries of Health and Family Development, Youth and Sports, and Fisheries and Agriculture. The responsibilities of the former Transport and Civil Aviation Ministry have been distributed between the new Ministry of Economic Development, Transport and Trade and the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
The Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works has been dissolved, with its public works functions absorbed into the renamed Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development. Animal Welfare, which previously operated under the Agriculture Ministry, has also been abolished. The former Dhivehi Language, Culture and Heritage Ministry has been rebranded as the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) confirmed on Tuesday that the mandates of 10 ministries have changed as a result of the restructuring, and that six Permanent Secretaries will lose their positions. Those affected are the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Agriculture, Higher Education, Youth, Social and Family Development, Transport, and Cities. The CSC said staff transfers from the merged ministries are already underway.
The mass resignations followed the government’s poor performance in local council elections, after which President Muizzu indicated his intent to reshape the administration.
