Maldives govt signs contract for India-funded $500 million connectivity project
The Maldives government and an Indian construction firm signed a contract on Thursday for the $500-million Greater Malé Connectivity Project (GMCP), the Indian Ocean archipelago’s largest infrastructure project that is being funded by New Delhi.
The 6.74-km bridge and causeway link will connect the capital of Malé with the islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. It is being funded through a grant of $100 million and a line of credit of $400 million from India, and will boost connectivity between the four islands that account for almost half of the Maldivian population.
Maldives President Ibrahim Solih and foreign minister Abdulla Shahid had sought India’s backing for the project when external affairs minister S Jaishankar visited Malé in September 2019.
