Author: Minivan News

Gasim Ibrahim undecided on whether to contest presidency in 2013

Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim, leader of the Jumhooree Party, has said he does not intend to back or become running mate of any candidate in the 2013 presidential elections, though he has not ruled out standing for the country’s top political position himself.

Speaking to Haveeru, the former Finance Minister explained that he had opted not to back any candidate for the presidency in 2013 after taking criticism for supporting President Mohamed Nasheed’s ultimately successful campaign in 2008.

“The people are blaming me [for Nasheed’s election]; that this and that happened because of what I did. A large number of people are putting the blame on me,” he told the paper.  “How can I be sure of what would happen to me when I try to bring another person to power? I can only do something for my own self.”

After reportedly supporting Nasheed’s candidacy on the back of the “good things” the president said during campaigning, Gasim said that he had resigned as Home Minister after just 21 days into the new administration.

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President underscores progresss on housing pledge

The government has made considerable progress towards fulfilling its pledge to build 10,000 housing units to provide affordable housing for the people, President Nasheed said Friday in his weekly radio address.

The President revealed that the construction of 1,780 housing units was currently underway while work on 25 units each in Gaaf Dhaal Thinadhoo, Seenu Feydhoo, Gaaf Alif Kolamaafushi, Haa  Dhaal Kulhudufushi and Lhaviyani Naifaru was now 40 percent complete.

While over 20,000 residents of Male’ in recent weeks have applied for housing units to be built in the congested capital, Nasheed announced that construction of 350 housing units in Male’ by Kargwal 18 SG Developers of India was expected to begin in April.

Moreover, said Nasheed, the construction of 180 units in Hulhumale’ by Coral Ville was 35 percent complete.

Meanwhile on Thursday, the government signed an agreement with the Chinese National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation (CMEC) for the construction of 1,500 housing units in the southern atolls.

Of the targeted 10,000 units, the Chinese company has been assigned 4,000 units across the country.

At Thursday’s signing ceremony, Housing Minister Mohamed Aslam explained that the government hoped to secure loan facilities of US$150 million from the AXIM Bank of China, adding that he expected construction work to begin in the next four months.

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Maldives holds events to raise funds for Japanese earthquake victims

The Maldives has held a series of events intended to raise money for victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last weekend.

The first event held over the weekend was the launch of a 24-hour fundraising telethon, while a series of charity events were held on Friday evening including a children’s march, entertainment and food tents near the tsunami monument, with 50 percent of the profits raised going to the Japanese cause.

Both Dhiraagu and Wataniya have launched an SMS donation service as well.

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Man sentenced four years for sexually abusing stepdaughter

The Manadhoo court has sentenced a man to four years imprisonment after he was found guilty of sexually abusing his stepdaughter, reported Manadhoo Live.

The paper identified the offender as Ibrahim Mohamed, of Kinbigasdhoshuge, Noonu Manadhoo.

He is now under charge of Manadhoo Council to be handed over to the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS).

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Madaveli O’Level results investigated after students provide same answers to maths paper

Cambridge University has queried GCE O’Level mathematics papers submitted by Madaveli School in Shaviyani Atoll, after finding that all students had provided similar answers.

Haveeru reported that the school, which placed second in last years GCE O’Level examinations in the Maldives.

Director General at the Ministry of Education’s Department of Public Examination, Ahmed Shakeeb, confirmed to Haveeru that Cambridge University has questioned the department, and that a team from the ministry had been sent to the island to investigate the suspected cheating.

Shakeeb did not provide details of the investigation, but said cases involving similar answers occasionally arose.

“Such issues arise in subjects such as Fisheries Science, which includes a lot of group work. The students provide similar answers or those having similar sentences when they go on field trips and do group work. However, in such cases questions arise about whether the students have cheated or not,” Shakeeb told Haveeru.

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Fuel prices increase after tsunami and Middle Eastern instability

Petrol prices have risen Rf 0.87 and diesel by Rf 0.96 a litre on the back of growing instability in the Middle East and panicked Asian markets after Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown threat.

The State Trading Organisation (STO) raised petrol to Rf 12.67 a litre and diesel to Rf 12.61, the second increase of the year. Local retailers followed suit.

The Maldives spends 25 percent of its GDP on fuel and is among the most vulnerable countries in the world to oil price rises. A government official recently speculated that were the price of fuel to double, the Maldivian economy would “collapse within hours”.

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Dhiraagu targets broadband expansion with nationwide submarine cable system

Telecommunication group Dhiraagu has claimed that the construction of a new fibre-optic submarine cable network stretching from the north to the south of the country will help aid national development as well its profits by providing improved broadband coverage to the company’s customers.

The project was unveiled yesterday at a signing ceremony held in Male’ for a US$21.7 million contract with Japanese communications groups NEC, who will be using their existing experience of working on the country’s cable system to lay 1,017 kilometers of fibre-optics beneath the sea.

The company predicts that the so-called backbone network created through completion of the cable project is expected to be in place by April 2012, accompanied by a number of parallel service extensions such as 3G usage and backup services.

Dhiraagu’s Chief Executive Ismail Rasheed told Minivan News that he believed the significant investment outlaid by the company in order to lay the new submarine cable system would be vital in extending services beyond their current limitations.

“Although we have mobile coverage in all inhabited and resort islands, we are not able to offer the same coverage for broadband internet,” he said. “The cable will enable broadband access to the entire country.”

Rasheed claimed that with the company’s current microwave system being pushed almost to its limits by demand, Dhiraagu had been encouraged to move forward with the cable network construction to aid online developments across the Maldives for services such as education, “e-medicine” and entertainment. “The network will also us to increase service capacity and eventually, we hope, make services more affordable,” he claimed.

The cable network will encompass a number of locations in the country including Haa Dhaal atoll Kulhudhuffushi, Baa atoll Eydhafushi, Hulhumale’, Alif Dhaal atoll Dhangethi, Laamu atoll Gan, Gaaf Dhaal atoll Gahdhoo, Seenu atoll Hithadhoo and Fuvahmulah.

For its own role in the project, NEC, who previously worked with Dhiraagu to set up a fibre optic cable between the Maldives and Sri Lanka in 2006, saw off competition from a tender of seven other companies to be awarded the contract.

Dhiraagu is among a number of suppliers in the country that provide broadband and 3G service along with groups like Wataniya and Raajje Online.

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Maldivian flag at half mast in mourning for Japanese tsunami victims

President Mohamed Nasheed has ordered the Maldives national flag to be flown at half mast for three days, out of respect for the victims of the Japanese earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

Cabinet members yesterday observed a minute’s silence for the stricken country, which is one of the Maldives’ most active development partners.

The death toll is predicted to reach 10,000. Japan continues to tackle the risk of nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, after three hydrogen explosions in the last four days and another fire that broke out in reactor four yesterday.

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LDC transition progress needs upgrading, says Maldives representative to UN

The Maldives Mission to the United Nations in New York has hosted a meeting to discuss the need to assist countries such as the Maldives in graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.

The Maldives was graduated to middle income under the UN’s definitions at the beginning of this year, depriving it of a number of financial concessions and eligibility for some donor aid.

The existing process of transition was underdeveloped, claimed Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the UN Ghafoor Mohamed, particularly the repeal of all special financial and technical assistance.

The Maldives has a profitable tourism industry and a GDP of over US$1 billion, however a generous taxation system and the relative isolation of this industry from the country’s economy – particularly its banking sector – has limited the benefit for ordinary Maldivians. The government has been steadily reforming the taxation of the tourism sector and has recently introduced a tourism goods and services tax and business profit tax.

Sixty delegates from various UN missions attended the meeting.

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