Author: Minivan News

Maldives signs UAE banking agreement

The Maldives Monetary Authority will cooperate with the Central Bank of the UAE on issues of technical assistance and battling money laundering and terrorist financing under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed yesterday.

The UAE’s Central Bank’s governor, Sultan Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, signed the deal along with his counterpart within the Maldives Monetary Authority in order to work together to try and ensure banking in both nations is in line with international standards on sound financial practices.

“This MOU puts a mechanism to cooperate in banking supervision [regarding] financial institutions operating in the two countries and exchange of supervisory information, in line with the international standards relating to exchange of information between banking supervisory authorities,” said the Central bank of the UAE in a statement.

The MOU agreement is also said to include assistance and training for staff at the Maldives Monetary Authority both in the UAE and the Indian Ocean at educational institutions that focus on banking supervision and examination.

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Space concerns still exist at Male’ International Airport: Miadhu

Overcoming a lack of space for planes landing at Male’ International Airport continues to remain a long-term problem for the site’s new operators, according to Miadhu.

Citing a “reliable source” at the airport, Miadhu reported that craft flying to Male’ International have been consistently delayed in the air for periods of about an hour over a number of years due to limitations at the site in regards to space and the time required to service flights.

Up to seven aircraft have been reportedly left queuing in the airspace around Male’ at a single time waiting for clearance to land, the paper reported.

President’s Office Press Secretary, Mohamed Zuhair, told Miadhu that he believed the recent privatization agreement signed between the Government and multinational infrastructure group GMR would help to try to speed up the processing time for visitors with additional security outlets and luggage reclaim facilities being made available at the airport.

“Flights that land can be serviced quicker, allowing them to leave on schedule,” the paper quoted Zuhair as saying.

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Climate change key element of Maldives foreign policy

Climate change has emerged as the most important aspect of Maldivian foreign policy, writes Anand Kumar for the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis.

“Therefore, it is hardly surprising that President Nasheed has been trying to highlight the issue at all global fora. Most recently, while speaking to students in Oxford University, he urged them not to work for oil and coal companies which were responsible for major carbon emissions into the environment. He also pointed out that these companies were also funding campaigns to deny the existence of climate change. He pleaded with the students to instead join those companies engaged in the area of alternative energy sources and green technologies.

“However, his campaign on climate change has come to be mired in some controversy after a UK media report, citing documents leaked by Wikileaks, suggested that Maldives had pushed for US $50 million assistance from the US government in exchange for unequivocally backing the Copenhagen Accord.”

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DRP deputy cannot “accept” Gayoom return: report

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Deputy Leader Ali Waheed has said that despite the respect he holds for former Maldivian president and party head Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, he “cannot accept” his possible return to power, Miadhu reported.

In an interview with DhiFM, Waheed reportedly said that having already ruled the country for 30 years, Gayyom’s potential return could set back the DRP, adding it was “not fitting” for him to rule again.

The report added that although there had been no official confirmation that Gayoom had any plans to return to active politics following his retirement earlier this year, Waheed claimed that some members within the DRP have made “outrageous statements” about the former leader and his intentions.

“I respect Maumoon. I support him a lot. I hold him with great reverence. But still I cannot accept his return to power,” Miadhu quoted Waheed as saying during the DhiFM interview.

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Flooding hits government offices

Male’s Velaanage building, which houses the offices of a number of government ministries, was hit yesterday morning by flooding on a number of floors due to a loose water pipe, Haveeru has reported.

Equipment on both the building’s eighth and ninth floors has reportedly been damaged in the incident, which also led to parts of the ceiling on both of the levels collapsing and power cuts in five of the site’s elevators.

Mohamed Saleem, Senior Supervisor of Housing Ministry and the head of maintenance at the building told Haveeru that security officials at the site raised the alarm over the flooding at about 5.40am yesterday morning.

“When I checked, water was leaking from the office area of the ninth floor. A valve joint had come loose above the tea room,” he was quoted as saying in the report.

The administrative section of the Education Ministry was reportedly worst hit during the flood, though water reportedly managed to make its way down to the ground floor of the 14-storey building

High pressure has been blamed for the flooding, according to Haveeru.

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US funds $640,000 ILO project on labour reform in the Maldives

The US Department of Labour will fund the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to conduct a US$640,000 project implementing fundamental rights, labour law and administration reform in Maldives.

The Department said the grant would assist the Maldives “in developing a well-functioning system of labor relations, labor law and labor administration”, and would involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Human Resources, Youth and Sport, the Labour Relations Authority, Employment Tribunal, and worker and employer organisations.

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DRP claims will file case with police over disruption of rally

Opposition Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has said he will ask police to investigate the disruption of a Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) rally on Tuesday evening, reports Miadhu.

The meeting was disrupted when former Deputy Leader Umar Naseer and his supporters attempted to enter the venue. Naseer had recently been dismissed by the party’s disciplinary committee, raising the potential for a split in the party.

Miadhu reported Thasmeen as saying thatthe disruption was “planned out by certain individuals.”

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India and Australia offer scholarships to Maldivian students

Australia and India have both announced scholarships to Maldivian students, which President Mohamed Nasheed has said will “fill a huge gap in our human resource needs”.

Australia has doubled the number of scholarships offered to the Maldives, offering a total of 31 scholarships under the ‘Australia Awards’ program, with a total value of AUD$4.1 million. Six students have been awarded an Australian Leadership Award Scholarship (ALAS), while the remaining students have been awarded Australian Development Scholarships (ADS).

“If we didn’t get these we would have to spend amazing amount of funds,” President Nasheed said, while Australian High Commissioner to the Maldives and Sri Lanka, Kathy Klugman, said while Australia had a “very long standing, a very deep and a productive relationship” with the Maldives, stating that as a result of the interactions with the Australian government by President Nasheed this year, “we’ve just now taken [Australia-Maldives] relationship to an entirely new level”.

Following President Nasheed’s meeting with the then Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in Canberra earlier this year, the Australian government announced Australia’s aid programme for the Maldives, including an increased number of scholarships.

India has also announced 37 scholarships this year for Maldivian students to institutes of higher education in the country, through the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

A statement from the Indian High Commission said the scholarships for Graduate/Post Graduate courses were open to all Maldivian students who have completed their A level exams and prerequisite subjects.

The High Commission noted that besides providing students placements in prestigious Indian Institutes, the scholarships also included airfares, tuition fees and a living allowance. More details available on www.iccrindia.net.

India provides approximately 90 scholarships/training slots to Maldivian citizens every year.

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President meets US naval chief

President Mohamed Nasheed has discussed the issue of piracy and maritime counterterrorism Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Robert Willard.

Admiral Willard and the President Nasheed discussed ways of strengthening cooperation “on areas of mutual concern”, the President’s Office said in a statement.

President Nasheed stated that maritime safety was a great concern to the Maldives.

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