US drug companies are working hard to develop a vaccine for Dengue fever, which is endemic in Maldives. Sanofi Pasteur Inc. predicts the market for a vaccine is worth up to US$1 billion per year. Dengue has now re-emerged in Florida where 28 people have been diagnosed with the disease.
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(0)The following is a literal Dhivehi-English translation of the President Mohamed Nasheed’s speech to the media at the President’s Office on Tuesday afternoon, announcing the resignation of his cabinet members.
Today I meet the Maldivian media because the ministers of the government have noted that they are unable to fulfill their responsibilities according to their oath.
All the members of the cabinet are saying that they do not receive any cooperation from the Majlis, that many members of the Majlis are not acting in line with the spirit of the constitution and that they are also violating the articles of the constitution.
Believing a huge majority is with them, and through this majority members of the parliament are violating the very spirit of the constitution we are trying to implement and enforce.
The ministers have said that they are finding it extremely difficult to carry on with their responsibilities, and that therefore they wish to resign until the Majlis acts in a different manner.
All the members of the cabinet are requesting this, so today in accordance with the constitution which reads that after I receive the resignation of all cabinet ministers, myself and vice president Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik will only remain in the cabinet.
I assure the citizens that this government’s one and only aim and goal is to serve the people. This government was formed to establish a system which listens to the voice of the people, and to establish a system which fulfills the needs of the people according to their pulse and also to follow up with that system of governance.
So I request the honorable members of the Majlis to not cloud the atmosphere of governance in the country and to lend me their cooperation while continuing with their work.
I am obliged to look into the complaints made by the members of the cabinet about the Majlis members, therefore today I will start looking into them and I shall do everything possible, in the boundaries of the law, to look into these complaints and issues.
I am the head of state of this country. I am also the head of the police and defense forces. I have put myself up to the task of leading this country to serve the people. We did not come to power with the intent to do whatever we would like to the extent we are able to do. So I am obliged to look into the complaints of the cabinet members and I assure the citizens that I will look into these complaints.
I intend to accept the letters from the ministers in front of all of you. I have not yet received their letters but the cabinet secretary had informed me that he had received the letters. So I ask the cabinet secretary to hand the letters over to me and afterwards I will answer your questions. A bit of time would be required for this (handing over the letters) but I cannot spend too much time on this today.
When the letters of the cabinet ministers are kept on this table, they have been accepted by me by default.
<President accepts letters of resignation>
Among all the letters I just have looked into, only the letter missing is that of Home Minister Mohamed Shihab, as he has mailed it since he is currently not in (Male’).
I sincerely and from the bottom of my heart, thank the cabinet ministers. The strength they have shown, the discipline and integrity they have maintained and their loyalty and readiness to serve this nation and to uphold the features and the spirit of the constitution, I believe never will be doubted by the citizens of this country.
In the history of this country, rarely does a minister resign. If cabinet ministers cannot fulfill their legal duties and responsibilities due to any reason, I do believe that they would have to think about it.
Today my responsibility is to look into the complaints right away. I will look into the complaints of the ministers and I will take necessary action afterwards. I assure this to all citizens of this country.
(0)Dislikes(0)‘Lessons from Tsunami Recovery in Sri Lanka and India’ described as a ‘large and wide-ranging study of post-tsunami recovery’ by researchers from Monash and RMIT universities in Melbourne, Australia, has been released.
The report identifies ‘serious shortcomings in how international aid agencies dealt with local groups, leaving them poorly equipped to manage with long-term recovery efforts. The researchers say they’re already seeing many of the mistakes repeated in the wake of more recent natural disasters, with worrying consequences’, reports ABC Radio Australia.
Radio Australia transcript with audio link
Lessons from Tsunami Recovery in Sri Lanka and India – pdf file
(1)Dislikes(0)Male International Airport remains the property of the Maldivian people under the leasing agreement with GMR, says the minister of civil aviation and communications Mahmood Razee in a Miadhu report.
The government still has influence over the airport’s management and all flights will be authorised by the government, he says. ‘Aeronautical’ fees will also be set by the government.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Switzerland is warning of the threat of a new global credit crash and a deep recession.
“A shock of virtually any size risks a replay of the events we saw in late 2008 and early 2009,” says the bank in its annual report. “Unlike then, however, we have hardly any room for manoeuvre. Policy rates are already at zero and central bank balance sheets are bloated.”
(1)Dislikes(0)The Maldives government signed the 25 year lease agreement with India’s GMR Infrastructure today after appointing four new members to the Maldives Airport Company board ,according to Haveeru.
The signing ceremony came hours after the Majlis passed an amendment to the Public Finance Act, specifying that state assets could only be leased or sold with the approval of the Majlis.
(1)Dislikes(0)Kevin Rudd’s fall from power was mainly caused by his decisions to “shelve the emissions trading scheme, to toughen asylum-seeker policy and to impose the resource super profit tax on mining companies,” according to an article in the online Australian current affairs and culture website, Inside Story.
“Kevin Rudd was absolutely wrong to claim that he had been elected by the Australian people and not by Labor factions,” writes Geoffrey Barker. “Rudd was elected as the member for his parliamentary seat of Griffith in Queensland. Nothing more. He took the leadership from Kim Beazley by putting together the numbers within the caucus [the Labour Party MPs]. It is the caucus that creates and destroys, that gives leadership and takes it away, and it is false and fanciful to try to suggest otherwise.”
(1)Dislikes(0)Electricity usage exceeding 400 units may be subsidised from September, the deputy minister for home affairs Mohamed Firaq told Television Maldives (TVM) on Sunday, reports Haveeru.
The additional subsidies would go to applicants after a review of their financial situation, said Firaq. The government presently subsidises electricity usage below 400 units. “After September, subsidies will be provided to applicants. Usage of below 400 units will be subsidised after an ‘easy’ form is submitted. Subsidies for those who use more than 400 units will be provided after they submit a special application form,” Firaq said. “Sometimes the electricity bill becomes hefty for houses with large families… The new policy aims to provide subsidies to this group.”
The forms are available at STELCO and the National Social Protection Agency.
The government gives some Rf5.5 million as subsidies to STELCO, and the amount would reach Rf60 million by the end of 2010, reports Haveeru. The fuel surcharge would be subsidised.
(1)Dislikes(0)Shares in Maldives GMR Infrastructure shares soared 5.5 percent to INR60 in morning trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Friday, after announcing the day before that it was awarded the contract to manage and expand Male International Airport in the Maldives, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has reported.
GMR Infrastructure stock closed 0.5 percent higher.
GMR Infrastructure reportedly offered US$78 million upfront for the contract, plus 1 percent of total profits in the first year (until 2014) and 10 percent of profits from 2015 to 2035.
Meanwhile, Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) reported an 11.6 percent year-on-year increase in net profit to US$20.1 million for the 12 months ended 31-Dec-2009.
MACL also declared the payment of USD4.9 million in dividends to the Maldives Government, an increase of 36.7 percent year-on-year, and a payment of 1 percent of net profit, US$200,886, as bonus to its employees.
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