Lawmakers approved a sweeping decentralisation bill late on Tuesday, capping months of negotiation over how much authority island and atoll councils should hold.
What the bill changes
Supporters called the vote a turning point for local government, arguing that decisions about roads, harbours and public services are best made closer to the communities they affect.
Critics were more cautious. Several members warned that new powers mean little without the budgets to match them, and pressed for a clear timetable on how transfers to councils will be calculated.
The funding question
Officials said guidance for councils would follow in the coming weeks, with the first changes expected to take effect at the start of the next fiscal year.
