Some town and city councils may be merged to ease operations and bring consistency.

Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar says the municipalities will keep their boundaries – but will be run from a central office.

Kumar says a lot of reforms are needed to modernize the operations of various municipal councils.

“We have to move away from this town clerk, Director of Health Services, Director Engineering. We have to modernize the whole organisation.”

The Ministry of Local Government is trying to create social spaces, providing services for people – places where they can come and enjoy themselves

Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says all municipalities will now follow the same procedures.

“You need to ensure that processes are transparent”

The Local Government Ministry has identified towns and cities which can be run from one office because all operations are now identical.

All Special Administrators have been told to come up with new ideas to make towns and cities more liveable and to improve services.