Author: Minivan News

Five hundred apply to leave DRP after Gayoom announces PPM

Five hundred people have applied to leave the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) following former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s decision to create a new party, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM).

Haveeru reported DRP spokesperson Ali Solih as confirming that 480 people had left the party out of 37,800 registered members.

“Several forms submitted to resign from the party are invalid, including the forms submitted by those actively involved in creating the new party. Their signatures are missing,” he told Haveeru.

The departures were “not a big deal”, he remarked.

The Elections Commission has meanwhile granted the PPM a license to create a party after finding that the required 50 out of 703 signatures submitted were authentic. The PPM is now required to gain 3000 signatures of members to register as a party within nine months, and hold a meeting of 300 people to outline the party’s charter and manifesto.

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Pirates release Danish family taken hostage in February

A Danish family who were captured by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean after departed Haa Alif Atoll in the Maldives have been freed.

Jan Quist Johansen, Birgit Marie, their three teenage children and two members of crew were taken hostage on February 24.

All seven hostages were released. Pirates claimed a ransom of US$3-4 million was paid.

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Auditor General’s office requests Rf 7 million increase in budget

The Auditor General’s office has requested an additional Rf 7 million (US$450,000) from the Finance Ministry to revise the organisation, reports Haveeru.

Parliament’s Finance Committee asked the ministry to provide Rf 2 million to revise the structure of the auditor general’s office and lay off 22 employees, Rf 1.4 million for audit trips, and Rf 730,000 for consultancy services.

An additional Rf 750,000 was requested for training, and Rf 1.4 million for legally-licensed software.

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Cabinet discuss debt reduction

The cabinet discussed reducing the level of public debt at its weekly meeting yesterday, exchanging views on debt repayment.

On August 10, Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz told parliament that the current administration inherited a dispersed outstanding debt of US$446.5 million owed to local and foreign banks. The new government obtained loans amounting to US$196.4 million as of April 30, 2011, of which US$5.1 million had been paid back.

The government meanwhile proposed a fiscal responsibility bill to parliament last month to impose limits on government spending and debt accumulation as part of its 18-bill economic reform package.

A UNDP paper on achieving debt sustainability in the Maldives published in December 2010 observed that “as a percentage of GDP, public debt levels have almost doubled from 55 percent in 2004 to an estimated 97 percent in 2010.”

“Public debt service as a percent of government revenues will more than double between 2006 and 2010 from under 15 percent to over 30 percent,” it continued. “The IMF recently classified the country as ‘at high risk’ of debt distress.”

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Kaadedhoo airport transfer up in the air

The government handover of Kaadedhoo airport in Gaaf Dhaal atoll to Island Aviation Services limited (IAS) is two weeks over-due, Haveeru reports.

Previously, Haveeru journalists had been told that the exchange would take place on August 23. An island was said to be included in the package, allegedly for resort development.

IAS officials say the Finance and Economic ministries are in charge of the matter, which has not yet been settled.

IAS claims to have been unaware of plans for a ceremony to mark the transfer on August 23, although Haveeru reports that such a ceremony had been announced by the President’s office.





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Education Ministry to appoint LS Construction to rebuild Arabiyya School

Director General of the Education Ministry Mohamed Yousuf has said the ministry will soon sign an agreement with LS Construction to complete the seven-storey Arabiyya school building in eight months, reports Haveeru.

Six companies had expressed interest in the project after Maalaa Highrising pulled out of the project following the rufiya devaluation.

The school is expected to open in mid-2012.

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Air Seychelles crew subdued attempted hijacker in Maldives in 2002: Wikileaks

The crew of an Air Seychelles flight flying from Mumbai to Seychelles via Male in 2002 subdued a passenger armed with a knife who attempted to enter the cockpit, according to a US Embassy cable leaked by Wikileaks.

The confidential cable claimed the attempted hijacker “who looks as if he could be an Indian or Bangladeshi”, was carrying a forged passport identifying him as Chandra Babu Sasi.

The full Wikileaks archive was released on Friday. Of the 3325 documents leaked from the US Embassy in Colombo, 150 concern the Maldives.

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GST will prioritise wholesalers, but requires administrative tax regulations

Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has said it will give priority to levy the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from merchants who import and sell goods at wholesale prices, reports Haveeru.

The GST bill, which was ratified by President Mohamed Nasheed last Friday, is required to be implemented within a month from ratification.

Commissioner General of Taxation, Yazeed Mohamed, told Haveeru that tax deductions from wholesalers will be the second major source of income. He said certain industries such as construction, food and entertainment would be given higher priority.

Yazeed said the act will be fully implemented in three months, but that administrative tax regulations had to be amended as well, Haveeru reported.

GST payers will be asked to register at MIRA.

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Conde Nast rates magazine rates Maldives world’s second most popular destination

Condé Nast Traveler magazine has rated the Maldives the second most popular island destination in the world.

The magazine’s 14th annual Readers’ Travel Awards also recognised the Kuda Huraa Four Seasons Resort as ‘The Best of the Best in the World’s Top 100’ resorts. The resort was also named ‘Best Overseas Leisure Hotel in the Middle East, Africa and Indian Ocean’.

Resort General Manager Sanjiv Hulugalle traveled to London last week to receive the award on behalf of the Four Seasons.

“This award is a testament to an amazing joint effort and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who voted for us,” Hulugalle said at the ceremony. “We’re constantly looking to raise the bar.”

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