Author: Minivan News

Maldives a case study of new Chinese consumerism: GTIN

Analysts now know that the best place to learn about Chinese ultra-rich consumers is not the mainland, writes Global Travel Industry News.

Rather the Maldives, double-chain of islands near the equator, proves to be the perfect place to launch a case study of Chinese consumerism. In 2010, more than 118,000 Chinese visited the country: a 109 percent increase from the year before, making the Chinese the number-one inbound market of the Maldives. Tourists here have helped form the new profile of Chinese consumers.

More Chinese are traveling overseas from smaller cities, places where growing middle classes are accumulating more wealth and do not face the financial pinch of rising housing prices and inflation felt by similar demographics in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, which, according to Vincent Liu, a partner at BCG in Hong Kong, will eventually impact the spending power of travelers from first-tier cities.

“Many of them are richer than those from major cities,” says Roger Wang, head of Lukintl, a Beijing-based tour company that has taken thousands of Chinese to America since it was founded in 1996. “The tourists from the main cities are mostly from the middle class, while tourists from smaller cities are millionaires or government officials. Usually they have strong spending power.”

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Deputy transport minister charged with cheque fraud

Deputy Transport Minister Adam Naseer has been charged with cheque fraud by the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) over a Rf50,000 bounced cheque, reports Haveeru.

The Criminal Court commenced hearings of the case yesterday. Naseer also faces charges of corruption for allegedly extending leases of plots in Haa Alif Baarah illegally while he was deputy home minister.

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DRP camp attacked

The opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) camp or rally site in Male’ behind the old powerhouse was attacked and ransacked by a group of people Saturday night.

Sun Online reported that according to DRP Media Coordinator Ali Solih, a group of about 50 people knocked over the partition walls and chairs in the compound.

Ali Solih alleged that the attackers included former members of the party.

An eyewitness told Sun Online that the group arrived in motorbikes and chanted ‘dharaniboge jagaha‘ (debtor’s camp) during the attack.

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Public awareness rising on child abuse, says VP

The increasing number of events organised to raise public awareness of child abuse is testament to the growing concern in Maldivian society to safeguard the well-being of children, Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed said yesterday at a children’s festival to mark the “World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse: Every Neglect is an Abuse.”

Yesterday’s event at the artificial beach was organised by the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies in affiliation with Child Abuse Prevention Society (CAPS).

In his remarks, Dr Waheed noted that child abuse encompasses physical, sexual and emotional abuse as well as neglect, urging parents not to be overly-critical of their children.

On Friday, the Vice President attended a similar children’s festival at Sultan Parkorganised by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Department of Gender and Family, Maldives Police Service, Care Society, ARC, CAPS, Maldives Autism Association, Maldives Red Crescent and Tiny Hearts.

Speaking at the event, Dr Waheed said he was encouraged by the initiative taken by the HRCM and local NGOs to mark the ‘World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse.’

The Vice President noted that the Maldives is signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and encouraged government agencies and communities to work together to increase public awareness.

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A’ Level pass rate 78 percent in 2011

Of the 1,515 students who sat for their A’ Level examinations this year, 78 percent passed in three subjects, the Education Ministry revealed at an award ceremony Thursday night to recognise top achievers.

This year’s top ten includes 188 students, 44 of whom were from atoll schools, with 15 students – a record number – achieving first place of the top ten. Two-thirds of the top ten achievers were female.

Four students received awards for achieving first place at international level while seven students earned A grade in more than three subjects.

The Chair of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Hassan Luthfy, was chief guest of the awarding ceremony.

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DhiFM apologises for broadcasting MNBC One live feed

Privately-owned radio station, DhiFM, has apologised for accidentally switching to a live feed of the MNBC One eight o’clock news bulletin on November 11.

Sun Online reported that Mohamed Jinah, head of news and current affairs at DhiFM, was questioned by police last Thursday after the state broadcaster lodged a complaint.

Jinah told press outside police headquarters that the radio station had apologised to MNBC CEO Mohamed Asif and explained how the incident occurred in a letter to Police Commissioner Ahmed Faseeh.

Jinah said he regretted the state broadcaster’s decision to file the complaint after Asif accepted the apology.

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Addu City Council to purchase Dhiraagu shares

Addu City Council will buy Rf 400,000 (US$26,000) worth of shares in telecoms provider Dhiraagu, reports Haveeru, following the company’s initial public offering last month.

Dhiraagu had earlier announced its intention to sell 11.4 million shares at Rf 80 (US$5.1).

“We’re completing the process of purchasing the stocks in order to gather funds for our activities. By the grace of God, it’ll be a successful investment,” Addu Mayor Abdulla ‘Soabe’ Sodiq was reported as saying in Haveeru.

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SAARC Summit reveals Indian interest in Gan: Daily Star

Addu in the south of Maldives suddenly became vibrant as all the eight heads of states and governments arrived for the Saarc Summit held on November 10 and 11, writes former Bangladeshi High Commissioner to the Maldives, Selina Mohsin, for Bangladesh’s Daily Star newspaper.

On July 28, 2011, the government of India provided a grant of US$5 million to Maldives for the Saarc Summit in Addu. In return, the government of Maldives officially handed over a plot of land in the capital for the Indian Mission. Simultaneously, agreements for the construction of a multi-disciplinary university and health centres and upgrading of an existing hospital in Laamu Gan in Addu Atoll were finalised with an Indian company.

Two earlier Saarc Summits were successfully hosted by Maldives in the capital Male. The necessary buildings and infrastructure were present in the capital so why was this summit held in Addu at such a great cost? Two reasons can be cited. The first was concern that opposition parties might create a disturbance during the Summit and the other was a preference by India in collaboration with Maldives to develop Addu Atoll. India has a particular interest in Gan island in Addu.

Gan’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean was identified by the British, who first established a base there during the 2nd World War as part of the Indian Ocean defenses. In 1956, the British took over Gan and developed a Royal Air Force base with a large runaway, jetties and a series of causeways connecting several islands in the Atoll, which served as a Cold War outpost. In 1976, the British pulled out. India had recently shown keen interest in Gan as a strategic location, but an attempt to establish a base there was revealed in the Indian media and halted after an outcry from the People’s Majlis of Maldives on issues of sovereignty.

After the Mumbai bombing, India began a project to network all the 7,500 km of its coastline with radar. India probably intends to include Maldives in its security grid to have a permanent presence in Gan for its surveillance aircraft and ships. Secondly, India would like a secure foothold in the Indian Ocean where the power of China is increasing. Beijing has pockets of influence around India with the Chinese built ports of Gwador in Pakistan and Hambatota in the southern coast of Sri Lanka. As 60 percent of Chinese oil imports come from Africa, China has to maintain its ability to protect its interests on this ocean route.

It is felt that India, by providing a grant for the Saarc Summit and by building facilities in Addu Atoll, will surely gain a strong presence in Gan.

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