Author: Minivan News

Preliminary debate begins on proposed strata title law

Parliament began preliminary debate on strata title legislation proposed by the government as part of its 18-bill economic reform package.

Strata title is a form of ownership of apartments devised for multi-level apartment buildings and horizontal subdivisions with shared areas.

Presenting the draft legislation this morning, MP Mohamed Rasheed of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said that the bill would establish a legal framework to broaden and develop the real estate market in the Maldives.

The bill outlines procedures for transferring ownership of apartment units under a strata registration scheme. Individuals could then mortgage or sell the separate units.

During today’s preliminary debate, both opposition and ruling party MPs spoke in favour of the bill and stressed the pressing need for such a law especially for citizens of Male’.

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Over 300 new members sign for MDP from Hinnavaru

Over 300 people from Lhaviyani Hinnavaru signed for the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) at a rally on Saturday.

At the rally in Hinnavaru, two Independent councillors from Baa Atoll Hithaadhoo also signed for the party, giving control of the island council to the MDP.

Speaking at the rally, MDP MP for Hinnavaru Ibrahim Mohamed Solih – who is also the current parliamentary group leader – announced that the constituency of Hinnavaru now had the most number of MDP members out of the 77 voting districts in the country.

With the additional members, the ruling party now has over 1,200 members in the constituency.

Meanwhile in a press release today the party announced results of a primary held on Sunday to select a candidate to compete in a by-election scheduled for November 19 to replace a vacant council seat in Fuvahmulah. Out of three contenders for the MDP ticket, Shaffaf Naseer, of Fuvahmulah Hazaarumaage, won the primary with 121 votes.

The council seat for mid-Fuvahmulah was previously filled by an MDP councillor, who lost his seat after the Supreme Court ruled that he had a decreed debt and should have been disqualified from the local council elections in February.

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Bank of Maldives to introduce community banking

The Bank of Maldives Plc (BML) signed an agreement with the Maldives Post Ltd this week to provide community banking in islands without BML branches.

Speaking to press after the signing ceremony, Maldives Post Ltd Managing Director Shazly Shafeeq explained that community banking services, such as depositing and withdrawing cash through post, shall be provided to islands without bank branches.

“This is something new, and we shall implement it gradually, step by step, in a number of phases. We hope that, God Willing, the work shall begin the next year, and the first service would be an ATM,” Shazly was quoted as saying in Sun Online.

In the first phase, ATMs are to be set up at Noonu Atoll Velidhoo and Haa Dhaal Atoll Hanimaadhoo. A new ATM has meanwhile been opened at the Maldives Post Ltd building in Male’.

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Police close 125 cases in September

Police concluded investigations and forwarded 125 cases to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) in September.

According to police statistics, of the 907 cases reported to different departments last month, 270 were reported to the property crimes department, 254 to the capital police, 144 to traffic police, 78 to the serious and organised crime department, 68 to the fraud and financial crime department, 53 to the drug enforcement department and 40 to the family and child protection department.

The fraud and financial crime department closed and sent 33 cases for prosecution while capital police closed 25 cases. The serious and organised crime and child and family protection departments each closed 17 cases. Drug cases sent for prosecution meanwhile numbered 12 followed by one case of traffic violation.

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Parliament to investigate alleged violation of MPs privileges

MPs voted 32-26 in favour of a proposal by Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed to investigate a supposed violation of MPs special privileges by a group of social activists who put up posters of MPs across Male’ with their phone numbers.

Under the proposal voted through yesterday, the parliamentary Privileges Committee has been tasked with conducting an inquiry into the alleged violation and decide whether to ask police for an official investigation.

Last week, Riyaz submitted a motion without notice claiming that a civic action campaign against controversial Rf20,000-a-month committee allowances approved last year violated MPs’ special privileges.

A loose association of concerned citizens and members of local NGOs launched a campaign in late August after parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) decided to issue a lump sum of Rf140,000 (US$9,000) as committee allowance back pay for January through July this year.

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September incomes topple August

Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has released figures showing that the state earned Rf269.6 million more in September than in August, when income was reported at Rf260.7 million.

Altogether, MIRA collected more than Rf500 million (US$32 million) as income through September.

Resort rents accounted for the largest amount of income received (Rf196.4 million). Tourism Goods and Services Tax (T-GST) came in at Rf71.9 million.

Nearly half of the state’s dollar income which goes through MIRA comes from tourism rent payments (US$12.8 million).

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Indian national caught with drug-filled suitcase

Indian national Lata Kumari Govindaran, 46, has been arrested for possession of 1.05 kg of cannabis.

Govindaran arrived in the Maldives last Wednesday with the drug hidden in her suitcase’s double bottom, reports Haveeru. She had also visited the Maldives last Ramadan.

Customs told Haveeru that Govindaran had been arrested on suspicion of drug possession during a security check and screening upon arriving in the country.

Govindaran traveled alone and no one else has been arrested.

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Prices must be public: Economic Development Ministry

Shops are required to publicly identify items exempt from the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Economic Development Ministry has ordered.

The ministry also requires businesses that charge GST on their goods and services to display their Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) registration certificate.

Unregistered businesses may not charge GST and wholesale and retail prices should also be viewable.

Businesses that violate these regulations will be fined between Rf500-10,000. A second offense will incur a fine between Rf5,000-10,000.

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