Author: Minivan News

MWSC introduces AMR technology and e-services

The Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) launched its new e-services and Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technology at a ceremony on Tuesday night.

According to the utility company, as the new meters are equipped with wireless transmitters capable of sending information to a receiving device at the company office, employees would no longer be sent to households every month for meter readings.

The device will also immediately alert the company to leaks or other problems.

MWSC’s e-services meanwhile include e-portal, e-bill and e-pay to enable customers to check their balance and make online payments.

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Parliament approves members to Broadcasting Commission

Parliament approved seven members to the newly-instituted Maldives Broadcasting Commission yesterday, after voting on nominees put forward by President Mohamed Nasheed.

The seven members approved to the commission were Badr Naseer, Aishath Hana, Mohamed Shaheeb, Mariyam Shaugy, Ibrahim Ashraf, Moomina Adam and Abdulla Shujau.

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Bill mandating parliamentary approval for Managing Directors rejected

Parliament today rejected an amendment to the Companies Act proposed by Republican Party MP Ibrahim Muttalib stipulating that the President must seek parliamentary approval before appointing Managing Directors for public companies and state-owned enterprises.

Of the 68 MPs in attendance, only 16 MPs voted in favour of the amendment while 49 voted against and three abstained.

The amendment was severely criticised by MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) as the latest in a series of bills intended to wrest control from the executive and undermine presidential prerogatives.

Several opposition MPs also argued that the amendment would threaten the independence of public companies, claiming that a single amendment was not enough to overcome the shortcomings of the existing Companies Act.

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President appoints Prinicipal Collector of Customs, three State Ministers

President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday appointed Mohamed Aswan as Minister of State, Principal Collector of Customs.

Aswan replaces former Principal Collector Ilyas Hussain.

In the same day, President Nasheed appointed State Ministers to three regional offices. They were, Mohamed Hunaif as the Minister of State, National Office, Upper North Region; Hussain Irfan Zaki as the Minister of State, National Office, North Central Region; and Ahmed Mujuthaba as the Minister of State, National Office, South Central Region.

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Live stream introduced for local radio and TV

Maldivian company Net Solutions has introduced free live stream of local television channels and radio stations.

Live streams of MNBC One, Youth TV, Villa TV, DhiTV as well as Raajje Radio and Raajje FM is available on the site.

While the service is free of charge anywhere in the Maldives, a fee will be charged for streaming outside the country.

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Construction begins on Addu convention centre

Construction work has begun on the convention centre to be built in Addu City ahead of this year’s SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit, reports Haveeru.

According to Ameen Construction, work on the site will continue night and day as the company hopes to complete the centre by August this year.

The Foreign Ministry is meanwhile preparing to select candidates from Addu and Fuvahmulah for training ahead of the regional summit.

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UK to help fund maritime surveillance of pirates in Indian Ocean

The UK will contribute £6 million to maritime surveillance in the Indian Ocean in a bid to contain the spread of pirates in the Indian Ocean, as part of a £5.3 million counter piracy programme conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The money will also be used to increase prison capacity in Somalia and across the Indian ocean. £600,000 will also be provided to fund enhanced optical imagery equipment for the Seychelles Coastguard to allow surveillance aircraft to take high image quality video and photographs.

“This will aid the capture of the pirates and provide valuable evidence in court cases. The fuel tanks of the aircraft will also be upgraded to enable them to fly longer distances,” the UK High Commission to Sri Lanka and the Maldives said in a statement.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, said that there are currently around 820 Somali pirates “either serving sentences or awaiting trial around the world. I am pleased that the UK’s new support to counter piracy efforts in the Indian Ocean will aid the location, capture and detention of pirates across the region.”

Increased counter-piracy activity in the Gulf of Aden has led to pirates spreading outwards into the Indian Ocean. Several boatloads of lost and malnourished pirates were rescued by islanders in the Maldives last year, presenting the government with a major international legal headache.

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Maldives to provide sovereign guarantees to private sector infrastructure projects

The Maldives will issue soverign guarantees to infrastructure development projects funded by private sector, after a Cabinet meeting yesterday finalising the mechanisms to be used.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury proposed a limit of Rf 125 million (US$9.7 million) annually to support the private sector to raise funds as part of the government’s policy to increase private sector participation in national development. This would not be issued to individuals.

Cabinet decided yesterday that when a project involves expenditure not included in the budget or approved by the People’s Majlis, the President would send the project for Majlis’ consent on issuing a sovereign guarantee.

Cabinet also decided yesterday to establish a National Food and Nutrition Council, that would oversee food and nutrition policy, and approved the Maldives’ participation in the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Cabinet has

The Cabinet finalized mechanisms to issue sovereign guarantees yesterday, in accordance with the Public Finance Act, to infrastructure development projects funded by the private sector.

The paper presented at yesterday’s cabinet meeting, by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, on the matter proposed to issue Guarantees to a limit of Rf125 million annually, to help the private sector to raise funds as part of the government’s policy to increase private sector participation in national development.

However, this Guarantee will not be issued to individuals operating in the private sector.

The Cabinet agreed that, if a project involves an item included in the budget or an expense approved by the Parliament, the President would decide on issuing a Guarantee after the Minister of Finance and Treasury presents the project with recommendations.

However, the Cabinet decided that, when a project involves expenditure not included in the budget or approved by the parliament, the President would send the project for Parliamentary approval over issuance of a sovereign guarantee.

At yesterday’s meeting, the Cabinet also decided to establish a National Food and Nutrition Council.

The proposed National Food and Nutrition Council will oversee food and nutrition policy making and implementation of programmes, to ensure inclusion of all stakeholders in these processes to realize national targets for food security and nutrition.

The council, to be headed by Vice President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, will include policy makers from the relevant authorities.

In addition, the Cabinet approved the Maldives’ participation in the International Organization for Migration (IOM), today.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to complete necessary arrangements for the Maldives’ participation in the organization.

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