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MMPRC to host UK journalists in October

The Maldives Media and Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) will host a familiarisation tour for UK journalists between October 10 and 15.

“The main objective of this FAM trip coordinated by the Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation in collaboration with McCluskey International (official PR representative Maldives in UK) is to allow journalists from a vast range of media to experience the Maldives tourism product and in line generate positive publicity to the destination,” read an MMPRC press release.

The corporation also announced earlier this month that it was launching a global advertising campaign with the BBC, running throughout September and October, which would target regional markets in Europe, Asia Pacific, South Asia, Middle East, America and North Africa.

Next month, UK journalists from four five magazines will be hosted in Four Seasons KudaHuraa, Anantarah Kihavah, and Traders Hotel in Malé.

Visitors from the UK to the Maldives currently account for 7.4 percent of market share, making it the third largest source market behind China and Germany.

During the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinpeng earlier this week, President Abdulla Yameen said that he hoped to increase Chinese tourists – who already make up 30 percent of all arrivals – three fold over the next four years.

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Doctors sent to all islands except three, says acting health minister

Arrangements have been made to send doctors to all inhabited islands of the Maldives with the exception of three islands, acting Health Minister Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim has said.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the health ministry yesterday to sign agreements for building health centres in two islands, Nazim said medical officers would be sent to the three islands – Meemu Rainmandhoo, Meemu Veyvah, and Laamu Mundoo – as soon as accommodation was arranged.

Nazim said ensuring the presence of a medical officer in each inhabited island was a significant achievement and that progress has been made in the health sector in recent weeks.

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Man sentenced to six years in prison for stealing rihaakuru bottles

The Criminal Court on Monday (September 15) sentenced a 43-year-old Maldivian man to six years in prison for stealing three bottles of rihaakuru (a thick brown fish paste) from the local market in Malé.

Ahmed Riyaz, from Henveiru Yaaru, was accused of stealing the three bottles from stall number 39 at the local market in the early hours of the morning on March 4. Each bottle was worth MVR250 (US$16).

Riyaz was found guilty based on eyewitness testimony and sentenced to six years imprisonment as it was the sixth time that he had been convicted of theft.

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Arabbiya School to teach grades 4-12 in Arabic

The Ministry of Education has held discussions on teaching grades four through 12 at the Arabbiya School in Malé in Arabic medium, reports newspaper Haveeru.

The government-run school currently teaches in both English and Arabic as the medium of instruction.

State Minister Adam Shareef Umar – who is also in charge of the national institute of education – told the local daily that meetings have been held to discuss the change.

If the decision is finalised, grades four to six would be taught exclusively in Arabic and with the exception of the English and Dhivehi subjects, all other subjects would taught in Arabic for grades seven through 12.

Students in grades one to three would be taught in both languages. The state minister explained that it would allow students to transfer to other schools after grade three if they choose without difficulties in transition.

An official from the school – which currently has about 900 students – said that teaching in two languages affected learning and grades.

The government is meanwhile planning to change two other schools – the Addu Nooraanee School and a designated school in the north – to the Arabic medium.

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Hope for Women launch workshops for woman councilors and Island Women’s Development Committees.

Women’s rights advocacy group Hope for Women (HFW) has launched a new initiative focusing on woman councillors and members of Island Women’s Development Committees, (IWDC) aiming to “increase their involvement in decision and policy making processes.”

In a press statement on Sunday, (August 14) HFW stated it will “facilitate a three day training workshop in 11 targeted islands for representatives from the IWDCs and training in Malé for the 59 newly elected women councilors.”

“These workshops will focus on identifying challenges and solutions to improve the performance of IWDCs in assisting island councilors to develop and implement an effective strategic action plan.”

IWDCs are a subcommittee of the island council and are responsible for fund raising and activities to empower women. Only women are eligible to vote for IWDC members.

The majority of local councilors are men, with women having relatively few decision making powers at island level. The People’s Majlis in 2010 rejected a provision to include a quota for women in local councils.

Earlier this year, the government proposed abolishing the committees as part of a streamlining of local governance.

A recent publication by European Union Election Observation Mission for the Majlis elections in March noted that “women have traditionally been relegated to the private rather than the public sphere of life.”

HFW, one of the few NGOs working solely on the rights of women, conducts various programmes aimed at empowering women and supporting victims of gender discrimination. It recently launched an initiative to provide legal counseling on family law and prevention of domestic violence law.

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MJA election indefinitely delayed

The Maldives Journalist Association (MJA)’s election of its executive committee has been indefinitely delayed. It was previously scheduled to be held on Sunday, September 21.

In a statement released today, the MJA explained that the delay in the election is due to numerous complaints received regarding recently submitted membership forms. It states that the currently serving executive committee decided unanimously to delay the election until the complaints are resolved.

The statement elaborated on the nature of complaints received, stating that many concerned the application for membership by individuals who are not journalists, and errors in the names submitted on forms.

The MJA has made three previous attempts to hold the elections, but it has been cancelled every time due to concerns raised by various members of the association.

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Malé-Hulhulé bridge will be opened in 2017, says tourism minister

Work on the proposed bridge linking capital Malé and Hulhulé is to begin next year with aims of opening the bridge in 2017, says Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb.

An MoU was signed yesterday between the Chinese and the Maldivian governments concerning the promotion of the bridge during the first ever presidential visit by a Chinese President to the Maldives.

Speaking to Haveeru, Adeeb said that President Abdulla Yameen plans for the bridge to be open in 2017.

The project is linked to President Yameen’s plans for a ‘youth city’ in Hulhumalé, which is reported to include youth-specific housing, international class sports facilities, a theme park, yacht marina, and a tourism district for a population of 50,000.

“President Yameen has a lot of ambitions for Youth City. Creating lots of job opportunities along with housing is amongst the aims President Yameen has for the city. All of this is connected via the bridge. So God willing, the bridge project will be completed,” said Adeeb.

Chinese President Xi Jinpeng suggested the name ‘China-Maldives Friendship Bridge’ to be given to the bridge in recognition to the strong diplomatic relations between the two states.

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Agreement with UNOPS for supply of medicine terminated

An agreement signed between the government and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in April last year to supply medicine and equipment to government hospitals and health centres has been terminated.

In a press release yesterday, UNOPS that the MVR67 million (US$4,370,544) agreement was canceled with mutual consent following discussions. The State Trading Organisation (STO) is reportedly set to take over procurements for the health sector.

Under the agreement, UNOPS said more than 200 pieces of equipment were provided to health centres and hospitals in 20 regions. While 146 types of pharmaceuticals were stored in warehouses when the agreement came into force, UNOPS said the figure has risen to 782 at present.

Medical supplies worth MVR37 million (US$2.3 million) had been provided under the agreement, the press release added.

The initial agreement with UNOPS had been modified following instructions by the Anti-Corruption Commission, which investigated complaints alleging violations of public finance regulations.

“Getting pharmaceuticals and equipment through a UN-agency like UNOPS will ensure quality, as they only buy high-quality, best-value goods from suppliers that meet their standards,” Health Ministry Director General Dr Sheeza Ali had told local media in May last year.

“An analysis we did before signing the agreement showed that the cost of obtaining pharmaceuticals and other equipment would decrease by 20-30 percent.”

The two year contract, signed on April 15, 2013, required the Maldives’ government to pay the UN agency on a twice yearly basis.

Meanwhile, former Health Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela alleged last week that she was ousted in order to clear the way for corruption within the health sector.

Shakeela told newspaper Haveeru that political opponents intended to utilise the position to benefit from large scale corruption in the health sector.

“I am not talking about small amounts [of money]. For example, because of the state of disrepair of infrastructure, about MVR500,000 has to be spent at least to build even one place. In most places, it goes above a million,” she explained.

“So consider the profit people could make. They could give it to whoever they want. They could do whatever they want to purchase equipment. I tried to do it without allowing any of that.”

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Chinese Presidents departs after historic visit

Chinese President Xi Jinpeng has departed from the Maldives this morning after concluding a historic first ever visit to the Maldives by a Chinese President.

China and Maldives signed eight different MoUs during Xi’s one day visit, most notably the agreements on the development of Ibrahim International Airport (INIA) and promoting the construction of the Malé-Hulhulé Bridge.

Maldives also agreed to actively take part in the 21st century maritime silk road linking china to the east coast of Africa and to the Mediterranean further strengthening the diplomatic ties with the Chinese Government.

Other agreements include a Chinese funded and implemented Hulhumale housing project and a 15.1 kilometer link road in southern Laamu Atoll.

President Xi said he would encourage Chinese investment and promised financial support for further projects in the Maldives. He also encouraged more Maldivians to visit China and said that the two governments should encourage travel exchanges.

Xi is due to visit Sri Lanka today and India tomorrow as part of his South Asia tour.

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