The World Bank mission team met with the Communications Authority of Maldives as part of its support and implementation mission from the 15th to the 23rd of September 2024. The Task Team Leader, Mr. Jerome Bezzina (Task Team Leader, Sr. Digital Development Specialist), along with Ms. Anna Metz (co-Task Team Leader, Sr. Digital Development Specialist), Dr. Ibrahim Waheed (Project Manager), Mr. Ahmed Haleem (Communications Specialist) and Ms. Fathmath Shafa Hussain (Project Officer). Mr. Ilyas Ahmed (Chief Executive) and Ms. Zulaikha Ibrahim (Deputy Director General) participated from the Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM).

The participants discussed the progress made in subcomponent 1.1, which supports the CAM in reviewing and updating the regulatory frameworks for wholesale and retail broadband markets. Additionally, the D’MADD project will provide technical assistance, equipment, and capacity building to CAM and develop and update the regulatory frameworks to ensure fair competition. The project will also train its staff to improve oversight and enforcement capacity.

The mission team discussed changes made to the results framework during the project’s restructuring. These changes aim to better measure the quality of service, particularly in terms of actual bandwidth compared to the commercial expressions of operators’ offers.

Dr. Waheed reported positive progress within the CAM subcomponent of the project. He stressed the necessity for the CAM team to be well-prepared for the consulting firm’s mission visits, as the consultants will not be physically present throughout the entire project; efficient preparation during these in-person missions is crucial to achieving project objectives. Dr. Waheed also expressed satisfaction with the current implementation progress, noting that all activities under the CAM subcomponent are active and moving forward as planned.

The CAM team also expressed delight in the current progress. The meeting concluded with an agreement on the next steps to progress.