Author: Minivan News

Man dies of injuries following apparent suicide attempt

A 34 year-old man has died while being treated for injuries suffered in an apparent attempt to hang himself on Wednesday.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that the man was found injured inside the apartment he lived in Male’. He had the pulse when he was taken to the hospital, Shiyam said, “However died during the treatment.”

He said the case is currently under investigation.

Local media outlet Sun identified the man as Junaid Jaufar of Maajehige on Gadhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

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Parliament endorses Fathimath Filza as Consul General

Parliament unanimously endorsed Fathimath Filza’s nomination for parliamentary Consul General during yesterday’s sitting. Filza will replace Dr Abdulla Didi, who was appointed Supreme Court judge in August 2010.

Seventy MPs participated in the vote and two abstained.

Following the favorable vote for Filza, Parliament did not vote on the other two nominees, Anaara Naeem and Ummu Kulsoom Abu Bakr.

As Consul General, Filza will represent and advise Parliament on legal matters. According to Haveeru, her monthly salary will be Rf32,000 (US$2,000) along with a phone bill of Rf1,000 (US$65).

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Defense Minister’s car smashed

Maldives Defense Minister Tholhath Ibrahim’s personal car was attacked while parked outside his home on Tuesday night.

The rear window of the car was smashed in the attack.

Police Sub- Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News on Wednesday that the case is now under investigation.

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Health insurance should be free: MPs propose amendments to Bill

Parliament has proposed almost a hundred amendments to the National Health Insurance Bill, including a call for it to be made compulsory for locals and expatriates alike.

The bill currently requires workers to contribute 3.5 percent of their salaries to the scheme, however an amendment proposed by MP Yusuf Abdul Gafoor would require the government to pay insurance costs for everyone in the country, out of revenue derived from taxing tobacco products.

Haveeru reported that Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed ‘Colonel’ Nasheed had proposed a 1.5 percent employee contribution, with three percent paid by the employer. Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Rozaina Adam proposed that workers pay only 0.5 percent.

DRP MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom said the state should fund health insurance for all Maldivians through increased tax revenue, while expatriates should be charged.

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Four Seasons opens 2013 Hospitality Apprenticeships

Four Seasons Resorts Maldives has held a series of information sessions and application interviews for its 2013 Hospitality Apprenticeship scheme.

The program will offer 50 young Maldivians a year’s vocational training in food and beverage preparation, service, maritime transport, housekeeping and guest services, PADI dive master and water sports.

In a statement, the resort said that the program was “the most successful and longest running of its kind in the Indian Ocean.”

After a decade of operation, the program’s reputation “has grown to such an extent that virtually all apprentices get a job upon graduation, with a level of skill that would otherwise have taken years to acquire.”

Apprentices live and work at Four Seasons Resorts Maldives, training in resort operations five days a week, with theory classes one day a week. Performance appraisals and tests are taken at regular interviews.

The program is open to young Maldivians aged 17-20, with O-level certifications, an enthusiastic service-minded attitude, an excellent disciplinary record and fluency in both written and spoken English. Previous work experience is not required.

Interviews took place in Male’, Raa, Addu and Fuamulah Atolls earlier this month, while interviews will be held at Naifaru/Hinnavaru, Lhaviyani on December 16; Velidhoo, Noonu on 17 December 17 and Baa Atoll on January 13-14,2012.

Interested applicants who are unable to attend one of the above sessions should complete and return an application form by February 15, 2012: [email protected]

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President appoints executives to CMDA, MQA

Former Financial Controller at the Finance Ministry Ahmed Assad has been appointed to the post of Chairman of the Capital Market Development Authority (CMDA).

Assad was appointed by President Mohamed Nasheed earlier today. He is a brother of Housing Minister Mohamed Aslam.

Assad served as the State Minister for Finance and Treasury before accepting the post of Financial Controller on April 8 this year. He resigned from this position in November for undisclosed reasons.

In a letter accepting Assad’s resignation, President Nasheed thanked him for his support in drafting the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) manifesto, Haveeru reports.

The President also appointed today Dr. Abdul Muhsin Mohamed as the Chief Executive Officer at the Maldives Qualification Authority (MQA). The MQA oversees and issues professional credentials in the Maldives.

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New Rf5 notes enter circulation

Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) today released new Rf5 notes into circulation, as per discussions held over the past several months.

The new notes are said to differ from existing ones, which will be kept in circulation.

According to MMA, the security thread on the original note has been replaced with a new thread, bearing a design in place of the original “MMA AMM”, Haveeru reports.

The new notes are dated March 7, 2011, and bear the signature of MMA Governor Fazeel Najeeb.

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Amana Takaful IPO fully subscribed

Amana Takaful ended its Initial Public Offering (IPO) with a full subscription and 800,000 shares floated to the public in parcels of 25 shares each, at Rf20 (US$1.3) per share.

The issued shares have been alloted and a list has been sent to the Maldives Securities Depository (MSD) to be deposited in the respective MSD accounts.

“Our intention was to help change the way the Maldivian stock market operates as this was the first time that Maldivians, expatriates and foreigners were able to purchase securities in a Maldivian listed company,” said Hareez Sulaiman, the General Manager of Amana Takaful Maldives PLC, in a press statement.

Amana Takaful is the first Shari’ah compliant insurance company listed in the Maldives. It first came to the Maldives from Sri Lanka in 2003 in concept-form, and was licensed to provide insurance in 2010.

The IPO launch received support from Capital Marketing Development Authority (CMDA), Maldives Stock Exchange and the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).

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ACC fowards Nexbis case to Prosecutor General

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has forwarded corruption cases against Former Controller Ilyas Hussain Ibrahim and Director General of Finance Ministry, Saamee Ageel to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) .

The ACC alleged the pair had abused their authority for undue financial gain in giving the US$39 million Border Control System project to Malaysia’s Nexbis Limited.

The border control agreement was signed on November 17, 2010. However the upgrade stalled earlier this year when the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) expressed concerns about the deal, claiming that there were “opportunities for corruption” during the bidding process.

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