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STO to import oil, staples and pharmaceuticals only

State wholesaler State Trading Organization (STO) will focus solely on importing fuel, food staples and pharmaceuticals, the Economic Council has announced at a press conference today.

The move is part of the government’s decision to move STO out of the retail business in order to encourage private businesses, Economic Development Minister Mohamed Saeed said.

However, the STO has recently launched a new brand of groceries called Noofahi as well as announcing plans to expand the supermarket at the STO Trading Center in Malé.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb added that STO will be restructured and will build new fuel storage facilities, establish a shipping fleet to import oil and will take measures to increase fuel security.

Meanwhile, STO MD Adam Azim today announced a MVR1.25 reduction on a liter of petrol and diesel following a request by President Abdulla Yameen.

Adeeb at today’s press conference pledged to further decrease fuel prices and said the government is looking into ways to reduce prices on jet fuel for domestic transport

Minister of Youth Mohamed Maleeh Jamal said the “historic” reduction would address rising inflation.

The Economic Council also said a German research vessel has found hydrocarbon source rocks in the Maldives and said the government is working with a Japan’s Mitsui and Taisei, and China’s Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) to upgrade the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).

The Maldives intends to ask for a preferential trade mechanism with China following partnership in China’s maritime Silk Road.

Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad said the Economic Council will hold monthly meetings with state owned enterprises to address challenges, facilitate financing, and strengthen management.

Oil exploration

Fisheries Minister Dr Mohamed Shainee said a preliminary assessment of hydrocarbons by Germany’s Hamburg University had brought “happy signals.”

The research team will handover detailed assessment in the first quarter of 2015, he said.

Although the presence of hydrocarbon source rocks have been confirmed, further research and analysis is required to determine if there are hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Maldives and their exact locations, Shainee explained.

The inner atoll ocean basins and atoll slopes have been examined, and new 3D seismic data will provide a more complete picture of presence of hydrocarbons, he said.

The government is setting up renewable energy alternatives in Malé and Addu, but such sources can only cater to 30 percent of Maldivian energy requirements, Shainee said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan, Indian, Norwegian, and British companies have expressed interest in assisting Maldives in oil exploration.

Approximately 30 percent of Maldives GDP is spent on fuel imports.

Airport Development

Adeeb revealed today that the Maldives is working with Japan’s Mitsui and Taisei, and China’s BUCG on a master plan for airport development.

The government intends to secure a US$600 million loan from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and China Exim Bank for the venture.

Once loans are sanctioned, the work will be contracted out, he added. In the meantime, the government will rehabilitate the existing runway.

Economic Development Minister Mohamed Saeed noted an increase in Chinese imports to Maldives, especially in heavy machinery, and said the Economic Council is working on establishing a preferential trade mechanism.

A technical team from China is due to visit the Maldives to undertake a survey for the Malé – Hulhulé bridge in the near future, the council said.

The council also revealed that the Maldives has signed a maritime labor convention, and intends to establish an open ship registry in order to expand maritime businesses such as offshore shipping and to increase luxury cruise ship arrivals in the country.

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Government and opposition play blame game over Addu attacks

Government and opposition figures have continued to trade accusations this week after the attacks on the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in Addu last weekend.

Speaking at a public ceremony today, Tourism Minister and Progressive Party of Maldives Vice President Ahmed Adeeb claimed that the opposition leadership was “torching buildings and inciting violence”, reported local media.

President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz has also been accused of suggesting the attacks were coordinated by the MDP, prompting an angry response from Addu’s MDP leadership.

Muaz, who was not responding to calls at the time of press, is reported in local media as saying that creating unrest is unacceptable and that damaging property is not the way to win the love of the public.

Friday’s MDP rally in Feydhoo was attacked by masked men before its headquarters in Hithadhoo were set on fire. The incidents followed a series of arson attacks on the party’s offices and the homes of its member, who have also received persistent death threats.

In a press statement on Monday (October 13), president of the MDP’s Addu City branch, Ahmed Adhuham, condemned Muaz’s allegations, calling them irresponsible and unacceptable coming from the President’s Office.

Meanwhile, MDP chairperson Ali Waheed said in a press conference today that the MDP feels the Home Ministry, alongside Maldives Police Service (MPS), is not doing enough to ensure the protection of the party after the clear threats received.

“We have received numerous threats and all of these threats have been reported to the relevant authorities however we have received a letter from the MPS stating that some of the cases relating threats against MDP have been filed without any investigation,” said Waheed.

Waheed also claimed that the attacks are being carried out by a third party which helped the government come to power but is now stronger than the government.

“I do not believe that a government – which has not been able to implement a single project benefiting the public while having majority in the parliament – would have the need to interfere and attack MDP rallies,” said Waheed.

The MDP has filed cases with independent commissions including Police Integrity Commission, the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, and the Elections Commission.

Waheed said the party would not hesitate to involve foreign bodies if the threats were not adequately addressed by the MPS and Home Ministry.

Threats and Attacks

The MDP rally in Feydhoo last week was attacked by a group of masked individuals wielding wooden planks and rocks. 16 people were arrested before being released, with police citing a lack of evidence.

The ruling PPM was quick to condemn the attack, expressing concern that “such acts that harm political parties, public property, and lives”.

“All parties should have the opportunity to carry out political activities peacefully,” read a PPM press release.

Speaking in Fuvahmulah the day after the Addu attacks (October 11), MDP leader Mohamed Nasheed accused the PPM or senior government figures of being behind the attack. Nasheed’s residence in Addu was pelted with stones the following night.

The party’s main office in Malé was set on fire on September 25 after attacks on the two previous nights. Attempts were also made to set MDP parliament member Hamid Abdul Ghafoor’s house on fire.

MDP members and their families have received a large number of death threats from private numbers, with party spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy telling Minivan News last month that the threats had become too frequent to publicise adequately.

On October 5, Nasheed lodged a complaint at the UK Metropolitan Police Service regarding death threats he received while attending the Conservative Party conference.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union has previously described the government’s reaction to threats against elected officials as a test of the country’s democracy.

During a rally held last month in Malé, MDP MP and IPU member Eva Abdulla received a message threatening a suicide attack at the next MDP gathering. The message threatened to kill of MDP members, vowing to ‘fight to the last drop of blood’.

Waheed revealed at the press conference that an MDP rally will be held on October 25 at the carnival area in Malé, saying that MDP will not back down in the face of such threats.

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Monorail to be included in Hulhumalé phase two development

Hulhumalé Development Corporation (HDC) Chairman Hassan Ziath has revealed that the next phase of Hulhumalé’s development will include a monorail to Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.

In an interview with Haveeru, Ziath explained that the monorail would be designed to serve the growing number of tourists visiting guest houses in the capital’s suburb.

“Even now, 80 percent of tourists who visit Hulhumale are transit passengers. If we make it more convenient for them to travel to Hulhumale, it would increase injection of foreign currency into economy,” he told the paper.

Hulhumalé is currently home to 10 of the Maldives’ 199 registered guest houses, and is connected to the airport island of Hulhulé by a causeway allowing buses to take passengers between islands.

“It would be a big developmental step, especially if we are able to facilitate more activities targeting tourists,” said Ziath.

Reclamation for phase two of the island’s development would begin next month, he told Haveeru. The work – awarded to Belgian company Dredging International – will expand the size of the artificial island from the current 188 hectares to 410 hectares.

The financing of the US$60 million project will rely largely on loans from the Bank of Ceylon.

Ziath said that experts had advised a waterway be maintained between the two reclaimed areas, with four 50 metre bridges planned to connect the two. The most prominent of the government’s proposed ‘mega projects’ involves a bridge connecting the main island of Malé with Hulhumalé.

The HDC head explained that the island – already envisioned by President Yameen as a ‘Youth City’ with modern industry and facilities – will also include a tourist island and additional city hotels.

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Vice president says children must not be harmed in the name of Islam and culture

Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has stated that truly loving a child is to refrain from inflicting physical harm on the child in the name religion and culture, and from committing sexual harassment against children on the pretext of providing an Islamic upbringing.

Speaking at an event held in the National Art Gallery on Monday (October 15) to inaugurate the Minstry of Law and Gender’s new programmes, Jameel emphasised the importance of protecting the rights of children.

The new programmes focus on providing services for women, children, the elderly and people with special needs.

Jameel described the ministry’s programme as an effort to establish Maldives as the country in the region in which most fundamental rights are protected.

He went on to say that it is imperative that children are not discriminated based on their gender, and that they are not deprived of any educational opportunities or health benefits, local media reports.

Jameel opined that those who need social protection should not be perceived as a burden on the state, before using examples from Islamic history to demonstrate how society benefits from these people.

The gender ministry’s programme includes the release of two books regarding internet safety, the introduction of a domestic violence database, formulation of regulations for the establishment of day care centres, and home care services for the elderly.

Additionally, employment letters were also handed over to two persons with special needs. The two job placements are at Fenaka Corporation and Island Aviation Services.

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Three persons injured in Kulhudhuhfushi bike accident

A speeding motorcycle hit two pedestrians yesterday night (October 14) near the jetty in the island of Kulhudhuhfushi in Haa Dhaalu Atoll.

Both the pedestrians and the driver are currently receiving medical attention in the island’s hospital. While further details of injuries sustained have not been made public, police assured that none of the victims are in critical condition.

According to the police, the driver was 20-year-old male, while the pedestrians were women aged 52 and 57-years-old.

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Youth ministry moves Youth Day to November 17

Minister of Youth and Sports Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal has announced that Youth Day will now be marked on November 17 each year, instead of March 13.

Maleeh said the reasons for the change would be revealed during the Youth Awards ceremony next month, saying only that “November 17 is a very special day”.

November 17 coincides with the day incumbent President Abdulla Yameen took oath of office and assumed responsibilities of the head of state.

Since assuming office, Yameen has spoken often of the importance of youth development, pledging to turn the Malé suburb of Hulhumalé into ayouth city of 50,000 with modern sports facilities and light industries.

The Youth Awards Ceremony will take place on the newly assigned Youth Day during an event held at the Dharubaaruge convention centre.

“This time, we have included a special category that was previously not included. That is the field of voluntary work,” Maleeh told the press yesterday (October 14).

“We have seen such voluntary work being done in the recent Eid celebrations, in various government organised events and in the work of various clubs and organisations. Therefore, we have included this in this year’s awards’ marking criteria.”

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Home minister and pro-government MPs discuss legislative steps to curb gang activity

Home Minister Umar Naseer has begun meetings with pro-government MPs about necessary amendments to the laws in the initiative to inhibit gang-related criminal activity.

Naseer met with parliamentarians from ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in Muleeaage yesterday (October 14), as well as meeting with Jumhooree Party parliamentarians at their main campaign offices.

The proposed changes include amendments to the act on stopping gang-related crimes and to laws prohibiting the carrying of sharp weapons as well as a temporary act on stopping gang activity, Naseer told local media.

“The delay in tackling gang related crimes is a deep concern even of parliamentarians. We have now had the chance to confer with them and see what their thoughts on the matter are,” Naseer said.

“Reactions from parliamentarians of both Jumhooree Party and Progressive Party of Maldives were positive to my recommendations. At the moment, I cannot share further details of the suggested changes,” Umar Naseer told Minivan News today.

Earlier in the week, however, Naseer explained to local media some of the changes he proposed to bring to these acts.

Changes include the introduction of “soft curfews” on identified gang members, changes in the process of completing an investigation, in taking the matter to court, and in the completion of criminal cases in court.

“The problem is the period between these two regimes. After police concludes an investigation and the case is sent to court, it sometimes takes from 2 to 3 to even 10 years before the court presides over the case,” he is quoted as saying.

Naseer has previously spoken of concerns about the lack of cooperation between police and the Criminal Court.

On August 4, Naseer stated in parliament that a “special police operation” was ongoing to curb gang violence in the capital following a spate of violent assaults in recent days.

He went on to suggest that the problem was exacerbated by insufficient police resources, revisions being required for certain laws, and drug trafficking.

Special efforts from police resulted in the dismantling of ‘gang huts’ around the capital, before President Abdulla Yameen called a halt to the process, announcing that the government would instead seek more comprehensive solutions to the issue.

Following his unsuccessful campaign in the 2013 PPM presidential primary, Umar Naseer accused fellow candidate Yameen of having links to criminal gangs and the drug trade. Since being appointed home minister, however, Naseer has retracted these accusations.

The home minister announced in September that the police had identified about 30 gangs, with 50 gang leaders and 500 gang members operating in the country, especially on the streets of Malé.

He added that 13 of these 30 gangs can be considered as “highly dangerous”.

He said at the time that the government is planning an ‘attack’ to address the increase in gang related crimes – including assault, murder, and drug offences.

The issue of gang violence has become increasingly prominent in recent years, with stabbings and intimidation of journalists covering these crimes becoming commonplace.

A series of attacks on the offices and homes of journalists and MPs last month prompted concern from the EU at the level of gang activity in the country, while a private investigation into the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan suggested radicalised gangs may have been involved.

A 2012 study of the Maldives’ gang culture by the Asia Foundation revealed that “political and business elites” exploit gangs to carry out a range of illegal activities including the suppression of opponents and carrying out tasks to help maintain popularity or divert media attention from political issues.

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Former MDP MP sues state for MVR4.2 million for illegal jail term

Former opposition MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor is seeking MVR4.2 million (US$270,967) in compensation for an “illegal” Criminal Court issued jail sentence in October 2013.

Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed had sentenced the former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP in absentia for contempt of court when he refused to attend court on charges for refusal to provide urine.

The High Court overturned the six-month sentence in December 2013.

Hamid had contended he was not obliged to attend hearings as that the Criminal Court had repeatedly scheduled trial during People’s Majllis work hours, against privileges afforded to MPs in the Parliamentary Privileges and Powers Act.

“I am standing up for justice, and to a host of illegal administrative procedures and processes that have been used to harass me, deprive me of campaigning for my seat and physical harm for which I am now getting treatment,” Hamid told Minivan News today.

The refusal to provide urine charges are still standing, but Hamid has criticised the judiciary for allowing Judge Abdulla to continue overseeing the case even after he had unfairly sentenced Hamid to jail.

Hamid lost the MDP primaries for the Malé seat in January.

President Abdulla Yameen in 2011 successfully sought MVR244,00 (US$15,742) for his unlawful military detention on the presidential retreat in 2010. He was an MP at the time.

Contempt of court

The Prosecutor General charged Hamid with refusal to provide urine, alcohol possession and cannabis trafficking after his arrest in a November 2012 police raid on a private picnic island.

Former MP Abdulla Jabir and former President Mohamed Nasheed’s Special Envoy Ibrahim Hussein Zaki were also arrested at the time. All three have alleged the police severely brutalised them during the raid.

In the run up to November’s presidential elections, the Criminal Court expedited hearings into Hamid’s refusal to provide urine case. The charges carry a one-year jail term under Maldivian law.

Hamid accused Judge Abdulla Mohamed of a personal vendetta against him at the time.

Following the sentence, Hamid took refuge inside the Majlis premises for four weeks, and only left after newly elected President Abdulla Yameen assured him he would not be arrested and allowed to stay in his own residence.

However, shortly after Hamid left the Majlis, the Supreme Court struck down the article barring courts from holding trials against MPs during Majlis hours.

The next day, Hamid was taken to jail. Two days later, three High Court judges overturned the Criminal Court’s sentence stating an MP could not be summoned to court during Majlis hours as per the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act of the time.

Hamid’s failure to attend court was justified and as such the Criminal Court had no grounds to sentence him for contempt of court, the High Court said.

The Criminal Court has since cleared Jabir and Hamid of alcohol possession, and the PG has now withdrawn charges of cannabis possession.

Jabir was however sentenced to a year in jail in February for refusal to provide urine, but President Abdulla Yameen pardoned him in July.

Hamid is also being charged for a second time for alleged refusal to provide urine following a separate arrest in July 2012 after he had crossed a police barricade during a protest.

The PG had also charged him with disobedience to order in the same case, but has now withdrawn the charges.

Hamid has been summoned to Criminal Court tomorrow to answer both counts of refusal to provide urine.

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Women against drugs to provide vocational training for recovering addicts

Local drug prevention and rehabilitation NGO Society for Woman Against Drugs (SWAD) has today initiated a programme to provide vocational training for recovering female addicts in the Maldives.

This programme – conducted in collaboration with the German embassy to Sri Lanka and the Maldives – was launched today at the SWAD vocational training center by chief guests Ambassador Dr Juergen Morhard and Home Minister Umar Naseer.

Speaking at the ceremony, Umar Naseer thanked Dr Morhard for the generous contribution which has allowed the NGO to buy the necessary materials as well as noting his appreciation for SWAD’s extraordinary contribution to the fight against drugs.

“I am sure that every country is struggling in this fight against drugs and so is Maldives, but I am very hopeful that we will see progress in this fight with initiatives such as this vocational training by SWAD,” said Naseer.

In his speech, Dr Morhard stated that drug abuse and trade is the harsh reality of the current world from downtown Berlin to the beautiful beaches of the Maldives, and thanked SWAD for stepping up against drugs in the Maldives.

Speaking to Minivan News after the ceremony, SWAD Chairperson Fathimath Afiya said the aim of the training center is to provide skill building opportunities for recovering addicts in order to make the transition back into society easier.

“Participants will be taught a wide variety of skills such as sewing and carpet weaving which could be marketed towards tourists which would enable the participants to earn an income in a society where there is a lot of stigma towards former drug addicts preventing them from obtaining work,” said Afiya.

The NGO plans to make the project self-sustainable using the income generated by the sales of the goods and has aspirations to have the whole programme run by recovering addicts in the future.

A national drug use survey published in 2012 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that 48 percent of drug users in the Maldives feel they are neglected and perceived as outcasts by the local community.

The stigmatisation of drug addicts leads to the creation of a cycle of addiction with recovering addicts relapsing back into drug abuse as an escape from perceived ‘disgrace’ they have brought upon themselves and their families.

Work done by NGOs such as SWAD and Journey – a support NGO for recovering addicts – seeks to break the the addiction cycle with recovering addicts having opportunities to successfully reintegrate into the society as useful and contributing citizens.

The UNODC survey reported that there were 7,496 drug users in the Maldives between the age of 15 and 64 in the Maldives and that 48% of drug users in the capital Malé were between the ages of 15 and 19 years.

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