Category: News in Brief

MDP urges councillors to beware opposition invites

The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has advised its councillors not to participate in activities or programmes conducted by opposition parties, which are intended “to sow discord.”

A public announcement issued by the party yesterday, signed by Chairwoman Mariya Ahmed Didi, notes that opposition parties were inviting MDP councillors to its training programmes.

“All councillors in their official capacity have to deal with and answer to the government,” it reads. “The party will train our councillors under a programme either run by the party or facilitated by the party, not opposition parties or those allied with them.”

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Winter Mart robbed of Rf44,000

The Winter Mart store in Buruzumagu in the capital Male’ was robbed at around 2am in the morning to the tune of Rf44,000 (US$3,900), reports Haveeru.

Store Manager Ali Jabeen explained that the thieves broke in after smashing the glass on the door and windows, adding that the cash stolen from the register was to be paid as salaries to his 12 employees.

Winter Mart employees meanwhile accuse groups and gangs in the Sinemale’ flats area for the robbery.

Two months ago, a group attempted to break in to the store but were foiled by neighbours alerted by the sound of glass shattering.

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Maamigili Airport 95 percent complete: Gasim

Chairman of the Villa Group and Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim revealed in an interview with newspaper Haveeru yesterday that the airport under construction on his home island is now 95 percent complete and flights should be able to land in the next 15 days.

While the newly-formed Villa Airlines’ first plane arrived in the Maldives yesterday, the airline is set to begin operations when the Maamigili airport is ready for business.

At last month’s unveiling ceremony for the Villa ‘Fly me’ airline, Managing Director Rilwan Shareef explained that the company will begin operations with a 46-seat aircraft, which will fly to Villa resorts such as Sun Island and Holiday Island Resort.

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Private employers must join before April 15: Pension Office

All private businesses and employers must join the Maldives retirement pension scheme by April 15, the Maldives Pension Administration Office (MPAO) announced today.

MPAO CEO Mohamed Hussein Manik told newspaper Haveeru that under pension regulations private enterprises has to register in two weeks in order to begin paying into the scheme from May onward.

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Hyatt Hotels enters Maldives resort market

International hospitality group the Hyatt Hotels Corporation has this month entered the Maldives tourist market for the first time with the rebranding of a resort property on Hadahaa Island in Gaafu Alifu Atoll under its name.

The company has said that as of April 1 this year, an affiliate of the company had entered into an agreement with Driftwood Maldives Private Ltd to operate the resort as the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa.

According to the resort’s operators, since opening back in 2009 as Alila Villas Hadahaa, the property has the been first destination in the country to work towards Earth Check certification standards that aim to outline more sustainable practices for hospitality groups.

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa contains 50 villas replete with private decks, as well as boasting bedrooms with living areas.  The company has claimed that 14 of these properties are also situated directly over the country’s much lauded-waters.

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Bhutanese PM meets with President Nasheed

Visiting Prime Minister of Bhutan Leonchen Jigmi Yoezer Thinley, also the Chairman of SAARC, and President Mohamed Nasheed met last week to discuss the upcoming SAARC summit, as well as further cooperation in tourism and economic development.

Maldives hosting of the SAARC Summit will be the first to be held in the Southern hemisphere. The 16th SAARC Summit was held last year in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Thinley noted that both countries shared many similarities and the hopes and aspirations of both peoples were the same, and that both Bhutan and the Maldives could learn from each others’ experiences.

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Court must rule on atolls’ administrative centres, says Nasheed

President Mohamed Nasheed has said that higher courts must interpret the Decentralisation Act and determine which island becomes the centre of the each atoll, after Funadhoo’s Court yesterday declare itself the centre of Shaviyani Atoll.

Nasheed said the government would appeal the court’s ruling if the Attorney General found it did not favour the state.

“The government wants a final court ruling on the matter in order to define jurisdiction of each party involved in implementation of both principles and processes of decentralisation stipulated by both Decentralisation Act and the Constitution,” the President’s Office said in a statement.

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Authorities to conduct security seminar for resorts

Tourism authorities in the Maldives are holding a seminar this week to help resort improve security measures, after several recent robbery attempts.

The seminar will be held in conjunction with police, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), and the Maldives Association for Tourism Industry (MATI), reports Haveeru.

Last week a group of men wearing masks attempted to rob Baros Island Resort and Spa, one of whom died during the attempt.

A group of men also robbed the safe of Kihaadhuffaru resort in Baa Atoll, using cable-ties to restrain the receptionist.

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Maldivian crewmen stranded in Greece and Malaysia

Eight Maldivians on a cargo ship in Malaysia and four in Greece are stranded, reports Haveeru, after claiming that the shipping company ceased paying them when it was unable to deliver goods to Libya because of the political unrest.

One of the Maldivians stranded in Greece told Haveeru that he had not been paid since December, and was unable to send money home to his family.

“The company keeps on telling us that we will be sent back [to the Maldives] next month. But that next month had never come,” said Moosa Didi, who is on the ‘Al Dhoha 1’ cargo ship, a Naftotrade Shipping vessel unable to transport cement to Libya.

He complained that while the company was providing food, some of it contained pork which the Muslim crew members were unable to eat.

Haveeru also spoke to Maldivians stranded on the vessel ‘Ocean Carrier’, currently in the Malaysian port of Labuan, who claimed that they were running out of food and water and had not been paid for two months.

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