Author: Minivan News

Maldives signs aviation agreement with Bangladesh

The Maldives has signed an agreement with Bangladesh to expand aviation links between the two countries.

Head of the Maldives’ Civil Aviation Authority (CVA) Hussain Jaleel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Chairman of Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation Authority, Air vice Marshall Mahmoud Hussain.

“Under this Memorandum of Understanding airlines operating between both countries under the agreement can make 14 flight operations per week,” the CVA said in a statement.

“It allows airlines to make either Colombo or Chennai their third destination with consent to carry cargo and passengers from these two destinations as well. Cargo flight operators are also entitled to the same privileges under the agreement.”

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Government to shun service providers not registered under GST scheme

Government authorities are being urged not to obtain goods or services from businesses that have failed to register for the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

A new Finance Ministry circular has said government offices must not conduct business or sign contracts with enterprises not registered with the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), according to local media reports.

The circular has been signed by the present Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad.

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Maldives Red Crescent and CCHDC begin dengue awareness raising campaigns

The Maldivian Red Crescent yesterday began a door-to-door awareness raising campaign in the greater Male’ area.

The campaign coincides with the government’s annual awareness campaign during the summer months, organised by the Centre for Community Health Disease Control (CCHDC). The Red Crescent campaign will also cover Fuvahmulah.

The Red Crescent’s campaign will involve representatives going door to door handing out informative leaflets in order to avoid a repeat of the outbreak last year which claimed a record twelve lives in the country, according to the CCHDC’s figures.

2012 has already seen one recorded dengue-related fatality after a six-year old girl died as a result of Dengue-shock syndrome on April 10.

The campaign started by the CCDHC is called “Madhiri, rulhi, rulhi” (“Mosquito, unfriendly, unfriendly).

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Police investigate security guard suspected of filming girl inside IGMH toilet

The police are investigating a security guard of the state owned Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) for allegedly taking indecent images of a 16 year-old girl inside the hospital’s toilet.

The incident was reported to the police on May 3, according to local news Sun.

The police media official said that no arrests have been made yet, but the investigation is ongoing.

The girl was reportedly visiting her father admitted at the hospital.

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President reconstitutes six company boards

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan has this week reconstituted the boards of six national companies.

The president yesterday announced that the respective boards of Maldives Post Ltd, Felivaru Fisheries Maldives Ltd, and Maldives Road Development Corporation Ltd were being reappointed.

For the Maldives Post Ltd Board of Directors, Badhurunaseer Naseem was appointed as managing director, with Mohamed Nizam taking up the chairman role.

Mohamed Imthiyaz was appointed as Chair of the Board of Directors of Felivaru Fisheries Maldives Ltd. Ali Ahmed was appointed as managing director for the same company.

For the Maldives Road Development Corporation, Aslam Rasheed will take the chairman role, while Ibrahim Nazeem will serve as managing director.

The appointments were announced a day after the president reconstituted the Boards of Directors for Island Aviation Services Ltd, Maldives Ports Ltd and the Housing Development Corporation.

Bandhu Ibrahim Saleem will take up the Chair of the Island Aviation Services Board of Directors. Abdul Haaris will become Managing Director on the same body.

For Maldives Ports Ltd, Abdul Matheen Ahmed will take up the chairman role of the board.

Ali Shareef and Suhail Ahmed will take up the respective roles of Chairman and Managing Director of the Housing Development Corporation’s Board of Directors.

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“Reliable sources” say MDP’s Shifag to defect to PPM

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Shifag Mufeed is set to join the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), local media has claimed, citing “reliable sources” within the government aligned-party.

MDP Spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor had confirmed that the party would be taking disciplinary measures against Shifag after he broke a three-line whip on April 25, voting to endorse the government’s nominations for the vice-presidency as well as fourteen cabinet appointees.

Shifag was the sole representative from the MDP at the majlis session last month after the party boycotted the ratification process. The forty-five MPs present voted unanimously to endorse all appointees.

Shifag’s defection to the PPM would bring the party’s total number of supporters in the People’s Majlis up to 18, according to Haveeru.

The party, headed by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was formed in October 2011 after the DRP divided in two.  The PPM won its first seat in the Majlis last month after Ahmed Shareef won the Thimarafushi by-election, assuming the minority parliamentary leadership.

Under parliament law, the PPM was required to have at least one MP voted in under the party’s own ticket before its MPs – who were all elected under different groups such as the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) – could officially represent it in the Majlis chamber.

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Report identifies 155 juvenile crime cases so far in 2012

A new report released by the Juvenile Justice Unit (JJU) has detailed 155 cases of crime committed this year by young offenders.  Most of the cases are linked to suspects between 16 and 18 years of age, whilst a growing number of crimes were also found to involve young women.

Local media has reported that of the 155 cases of juvenile crime committed this year, 20 were related to assault, while 20 were filed over theft and robbery. A total of 18 cases related to drug abuse were also filed.

The JJU, which is run under the auspices of the Home Ministry, also reported that a number of crimes in the report were found to include “sexual misconduct”and vandalism.

Last year, the JJU concluded that the “vast majority” of crimes linked to young offenders between April 1 and June 30, 2011, related to people who did not attend school.

According to Haveeru, the JJU’s latest report found 68 percent of young offenders included in the report were found not to have attended school. A large proportion of the crimes committed in the report were linked to suspects aged between 16 and 18.

Local media added that there was a growing number of cases involving young females related to possession of alcohol and “disruption of harmony” relating to illegal gatherings.

The JJU concluded that a lack of proper nurturing, the negative influence of media and adults pushing young people into a life of crime were some of the key drivers for the number of offences in the report.

When adressing the work of a correctional training centre based in Kaafu Atoll, the report added that six children had undertaken rehabilitation programmes at the site so far this year.  However, Haveeru reported that there were concerns children being reintroduced back into society after committing offences were not getting the “necessary” encouragement and support.

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Some points former President Nasheed should ponder: Eurasia Review

“There is no doubt that former President Nasheed was forced to quit by the machinations of a few disgruntled- serving and retired security personnel and Islamists with a strong backing of those political leaders opposed to Nasheed and his party,” writes Dr S Chandrasekharan for Eurasia Review.

As someone had said, it was the result of a nexus amongst the money bags, Islamists and those in opposition. And there was Gayoom all over directing from behind. Yet the odds for having early elections appear to be not so bright and he needs to re-examine his own strategy now.

The daily processions growing in numbers in the last days of Nasheed’s regime before February 7th gave an indication that Nasheed could not have withstood the “onslaught.”

However right Nasheed may be in continuing with the protests calling for early elections, he should in my view consider the following points in working out a strategy that would, not necessarily bring him back to power but to “restore democracy” as he himself had pointed out.

  • So far the MDP has been able to organise impressive protests in Male and other places. The April 20 rally of MDP calling for Speaker’s resignation saw a gathering of about 10,000. The May day rally on 1st May turned out to be another big protest rally. There have been minor rallies in the evenings between 5.30 and 7.30. The students who are taking the final examination in Male have protested about the disturbances and the rallies are being conducted in a very low key. Differences within the party have arisen over the efficacy of continued street protests. The question is whether Nasheed could sustain the street protests for long when the Government is in no mood to relent? It is going to be difficult and the MDP may in due course lose sympathy of the people and may also see attrition from the party itself. ( The latter has already happened)
  • Nasheed’s visit to India has not been much of a success. He met the Prime minister on the 23rd along with his trusted colleagues of the party. On the eve of his meeting the external affairs ministry indicated India’s position “that engagement of all stake holders . . . will facilitate a constructive dialogue among all the political parties and help in bringing stability . . .” The PM in his meeting with Nasheed stressed on the road map of Feb 16 given by the Indian foreign secretary which calls for early elections. The road map is now dead and gone and India is neither in a position nor will it even try to resurrect the road map.

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Dhiraagu restores internet services, announces service credits

Dhiraagu has repaired damage to its underwater cable that slowed internet in the Maldives to a crawl and affected some overseas phone calls, and announced the restoration of full service.

The cable suffered damage at a depth of 40 metres, 26 kilometres from the Sri Lankan coast, on April 18.

The company announced service credit to affected customers, including the waiving of rental for ADSL customers for the affected period.

TouchNet Postpaid customers will receive a free 20 percent data allowance until May 31, while TouchNet Prepaid customers will receive an additional allowance of 200mb until May 15.

Mobile internet users will receive an extra 20 percent allowance on any data packages until May 31.

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