Author: Minivan News

Viceroy resort to open on Vagaru in December

Viceroy Hotel Group has announced that its resort on the island of Vagaru, in Shaviyani Atol, will open in December 2010.

The property is being developed by a local developer, EoN Resorts, in partnership with Mubadala Development Company.

The resort will be the first Viceroy property to open outside the Americas, following similar launches in Colorado, Miami and the Caribbean. this exclusive property will be the first Viceroy to open outside of the Americas and follows the recent successful launches of Viceroy Miami, Viceroy Snowmass in Colorado and Viceroy Anguilla in the Caribbean.

The newest addition to luxury resorts in the Maldives will feature 61 luxury villas, which the company claims will be among the largest in the country at 1345-3300 square feet of indoor space.

The resort will also include five restaurants, an over-water spa and fitness centre, and a cantilevered pool.

Viceroy Hotel Group founder and CEO Brad Korzen said the Maldives development, alongside concurrent projects in  Beverly Hills and Abu Dhabi, “represents an important next step in the growth and increasingly global focus of our company.”

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Taj Exotica voted best luxury resort in Maldives

Luxury five-star resort Taj Exotica Resort & Spa was voted the best luxury resort in the Maldives and sixth world-wide, and the resort’s spa, Jiva Grande Spa, was awarded with best luxury spa in the Maldives and third in the world at the 2010 Luxury Travel Awards for Reader’s Choice in Australia and New Zealand, reports Miadhu.

Luxury Travel Magazine is Australia’s most prominent travel and lifestyle magazine, and the only one dedicated to luxury travel.

Taj Exotica has been awarded with the Green Globe Certified Silver Status for its commitment to operating in an environmentally-friendly way.

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New Kuwaiti Ambassador meets President Nasheed

The new Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Maldives, Yaqoub Yousef Al-Ateeqi, presented his credentials to President Mohamed Nasheed at the President’s Office yesterday afternoon.

The president and Ambassador Al-Ateeqi discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to further strengthen relations.

President Nasheed said the Maldives and Kuwait have always had a very close relationship and the two countries are good development partners.

Ambassador Al-Ateeqi assured the president of his country’s commitment to further strengthen their existing relations.

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President ratifies compulsory vehicle insurance amendment

President Mohamed Nasheed has ratified an amendment to the Land Transport Act which requires drivers to obtain compulsory third party motor insurance for all vehicles.

The insurance bill is to come into force three years from the start of the Act, together with regulations stating that the mechanisms for investigation of accidents, identifying the cost of damage and claim for damage should be made public.

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Government offices to use new electronic communications system

The Cabinet has decided government offices will begin to use a new Government E-letter Management System (GEMS) to exchange communications electronically starting 25 April.

Government offices in Malé and the Southern Province will be the first to use GEMS.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Communication sent a report to the Cabinet on the issue. The new system is expected to make administration more efficient, reduce costs and improve delivery of services.

According to the President’s Office, the electronic system will “further improve the credibility, transparency and monitoring of the government bureaucracy” by enabling policy makers and decision makers to “take regular stock of the work of the respective offices and to ensure remedial actions in cases of delays in responses.”

Additionally, written queries from the public will be “more recorded and more readily available.”

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World Bank reports Maldives’ debt caused by former government

The World Bank has issued a report saying the Maldives was on the verge of economic collapse in 2008 when President Mohamed Nasheed’s government was elected, reports Miadhu.

According to the report, before the 2009 presidential elections, the Maldives was headed towards an economic crisis similar to that of Zimbabwe. The World Bank said the economic difficulties the country was facing was due to the previous government’s reckless fiscal discipline.

In late 2008 the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell by almost 5 percent, while the government’s expenditure rose to almost 30 percent of the country’s income.

Adding to the previous administration’s increase in spending in their last two years in government, 50 percent of the state’s wage bill was going to civil servant salaries.

When the new government took over, the country’s debt stood at 110 percent of GDP according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed Shaheed.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have made recommendations to President Nasheed’s administration on how to reduce the debt in a responsible manner, and the government has been implementing these recommendations.

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Minivan News Facebook page restored following fraud attempt

Update 21/4/10

The genuine Minivan News Facebook page has been restored following a malicious counterfeiting attempt. The fraudulent page was removed following an investigation by Facebook.

The authentic Minivan News Facebook page is accessible here:

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Many of our readers who joined through shared Facebook invitations may have inadvertently become fans of the fraudulent page. If you think this might have happened, you can check by clicking the link above to the genuine page.

Previously:

Minivan News has learned that a fraudulent copy of our Facebook page is operating at the following web address and has become widely circulated:

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Minivan News accepts no responsibility for content on this page, which was created on March 22 2010, and is concerned about the agenda of those responsible and any additional material they may attempt to publish under our banner in an attempt to damage our reputation for independent and unbiased news.

If you are member of the fraudulent Minivan News Facebook page, we urge you to report it as a ‘fake page’ (link on the bottom left of the Facebook page), and later join the authentic version.

The authentic page, created on February 16, 2010, is located here but has been temporarily disabled pending investigation of the matter by Facebook.

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When our Facebook page is reactivated, you may verify you have the authentic Facebook page by clicking the link on the top left of this website, under the Minivan News logo.

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New French Ambassador meets President Nasheed

The new French Ambassador to the Maldives, Christine Robichon, presented her credentials to President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday afternoon.

President Nasheed and Ambassador Robichon discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and way to strengthen cooperation.

The president thanked the government and people of France for their assistance to the Maldives, especially their cooperation towards the democratisation and reform process.

The ambassador said the French government supported President Nasheed and his effort to combat climate change, as well as the new democratic government of the Maldives and their respect of human rights and good governance.

She added the French government was willing to continue building strong relations between the two countries that had been established during the Copenhagen climate change summit in 2009.

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Maldives Center for Historic and Linguistic Research to be closed down

Deputy Leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Ibrahim Shareef has told Miadhu the government’s decision to close down the Maldives Center for Historic and Linguistic Research, and to transfer its work to other institutions, poses a great challenge for the Dhivehi language.

Shareef said the Dhivehi language has been an integral part of Maldivian culture and identity, and should be protected for future generations.

He said the center’s work with Dhivehi would be very different from how a college would teach Dhivehi, which is something all Maldivians should be worried about.

President of the Center for Historic and Linguistic Research Ahmed Naseer told Miadhu the language department will be transferred to the Maldives College of Higher Education, and the cultural and historical work will be taken to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

He said there would be no change in the level of services being provided and the transition will be over in three days.

The land on which the center stood will be taken over by Malé Municipality to build flats.

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