Category: News in Brief

Chinese envoy sees expanded China-Maldives economic cooperation: People Daily

Chinese Ambassador Wang Fukang has told Chinese news agency Xinhua that China and the Maldives are in a position to expand economic cooperation across wide areas.

“The ambassador said that the current Maldivian government is trying to diversify its single economic structure and is committed to attract more foreign investments, including those coming from China,” wrote the state news agency.

“Wang noted that since Maldives is located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, it is an ideal hub for trade between East and the West and that every year a large number of cargo ships pass through the Maldivian territorial waters.

Since Maldives is also a member of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), it enjoys preferential tax in the region. With the help of these benefits, the Maldivian government aims to actively attract foreign investments, establish special economic zones and develop transshipment and manufacturing industries.

The Maldivian government organized the first “Maldives Investment Forum” in Singapore in April, promoting five mega- projects, including the special economic zones, expansion of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, Hulhumale’ Phase II development, expansion of Male Harbor and oil exploration.

Currently, the Maldivian government is formulating a Special Economic Zone Bill which aims to provide more incentives to foreign investors in terms of tax breaks, relaxed financial requirements and preferential land use.

Ambassador Wang stressed that China and Maldives could focus on enhancing cooperation in three areas.

‘The first is tourism cooperation. Since 2010, China has remained the largest source of tourist arrivals in the Maldives. In 2013 alone, more than 330,000 Chinese tourists visited Maldives. In the future, both sides could encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Maldives. Maldives could attract potential Chinese companies to invest in the tourism sector of the country,’ Wang said.

The second area for cooperation between the two countries is infrastructure development.The new Maldivian government could initiate large-scale infrastructure projects where Chinese enterprises could participate, he said.

The third area is maritime cooperation. Wang said that China is willing to train maritime personnel, discuss and sign memorandums of understanding in the area of maritime cooperation, strengthening cooperation in fisheries, marine research, protection of ecology and environment as well as climate change.”

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Majlis passes amendment to Territorial Waters Act

The People’s Majlis yesterday passed an amendment to the Territorial Waters Act of 1996 following review by the national security committee with unanimous consent of 80 MPs.

The amendment (Dhivehi) was proposed on behalf of the government by Progressive Party of Maldives MP Ali Shah and sent to committee for further review on July 2.

The amendment state that a two-third majority of parliament would be required to make changes to the territorial waters of the Maldives.

The legislation was among a raft of amendments submitted by the government to bring outdated laws in line with the new constitution adopted in August 2008.

An amendment proposed to the Disability Act by Adhaalath Party MP Anara Naeem to raise the monthly allowance provided to persons with special needs was meanwhile accepted at yesterday’s sitting of parliament.

All 81 MPs in attendance voted unanimously to accept the bill, after which it was sent to the social affairs committee for further review.

Government-sponsored legislation on repealing a law governing government acquisition of private property with legal compensation was also accepted for review at yesterday’s sitting.

The bill was accepted with 79 votes in favour, one against, and one abstention, and sent to the independent institutions oversight committee for review.

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Majlis approves reintroducing car allowance for ministers

The People’s Majlis approved a revision to the state’s wage structure recommended by the public accounts committee (PAC) to reintroduce a discontinued car allowance for cabinet ministers.

The PAC report (Dhivehi) was passed with 58 votes in favour and 20 against.

On July 14, the PAC approved a request by President Abdulla Yameen to reintroduce the MVR6,500 (US$422) monthly salary for drivers of ministers’ cars as well as a MVR1,000 (US$65) allowance for petrol cost.

Parliament also granted an extension to an MVR50 million (US$3.2 million) overdraft facility provided to the State Electricity Company (STELCO) by the Bank of Maldives.

A recommendation by the PAC (Dhivehi) to extend the duration of the overdraft facility until March 2015 was passed unanimously with 80 votes in favour.

Parliamentary approval for the extension was required under the Public Finance Act.

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Parliament approves new information commissioner, deputy MMA governor

Parliament has today approved former Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP for Laamu Maavah, Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakur, to the newly created post of information commissioner with 60 votes in favour, 19 votes against, and two abstentions.

The office of the information commissioner was established earlier this month by President Abdulla Yameen under the landmark Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The commissioner’s tenure is five years and has the power enforce a fine on information officers who deliberately refuse access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR5000 (US$324).

The commissioner may also fine any individual who destroys requested information, obstructs a public authority or the Information Officer’s from providing access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR25,000 (US$ 1621).

Parliament also approved the reappointment of Aishath Zahira as the deputy governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority with unanimous consent of 80 MPs participating in the vote.

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STO plans pharmacy and supermarket in Hulhumalé

The State Trading Organisation (STO) has plans to open both a pharmacy and a supermarket in Hulhumalé, local media has reported.

STO Managing Director of Adam Azim has said that a supermarket for the residents of the Malé suburb would ease the numbers of people having to travel across to the main island of the capital.

Meanwhile, Azim is also reported to have told media that a new 24 hour pharmacy will open within the next two weeks.

“This is something that is needed immediately for the people. The people of Hulhumalé have to travel all the way to Malé to buy medicine most of the time,” Miadhu quoted Azim as saying.

The artificial island of Hulhumalé has been targetted for a number of developments by the current government.

Plans have recently been finalised to double the size of the island, while President Abdulla Yameen has plans to develop a ‘youth city’ of 50,000 people, serviced by a bridge between the capital’s largest two islands.

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Turkish citizen arrested with gun parts released

A Turkish national arrested earlier this month for being in possession of gun parts has been released after police decided that the parts could not have formed a working weapon.

Local media also reported that the Prosecutor General’s Office had decided the individual could not be prosecuted. Haveeru believes the man was released upon expiry of his detention period last Sunday (July 13th).

The arrest was made at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport after parts of a gun were found in his luggage.

According to local media, the man was a crew member of a Turkish oil tanker and was among nine crew members attempting to leave via INIA.

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Minister reveals foreign investors’ interest in youth city project

Youth Minister Mohamed Maleeh Jamal has revealed that investors from four countries have shown an interest in the Hulhumalé youth city project.

Speaking with Haveeru, Jamal said that companies from Austria, China, Malaysia, and Thailand had made enquiries regarding the development, pitched to the international business community during April’s Singapore investment forum.

“We have received very good proposals. A lot of foreign investors are interested in this project. We can go forward with the Youth City project as soon as Hulhumale land reclamation is complete as per the second phase,” Jamal told Haveeru.

The deal to reclaim land to the north of the artificial island was finalised with Belgian company Dredging International last week, which is expected to have more than doubled the size of the Malé suburb by next February.

A flagship programme in President Abdulla Yameen’s development policy, the youth city is projected to have a population of 50,000.

The project is reported to involve youth-specific housing, international class sports facilities, a theme park, yacht marina, and a tourism district.

Last month, the government revealed that three Chinese companies had expressed interest in the ambitious bridge project designed to link Hulhumalé the crowded capital island of Malé.

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Police to dispose of over 700 impounded vehicles

Police have announced today that 722 vehicles impounded for illegal parking will be disposed of as no one has come forward to claim ownership of the vehicles.

Police are working with the Malé City Council to transport the vehicles to the Thilafushi industrial island, police said.

According to a statement by the police, the vehicles to be destroyed includes 156 motorcycles, 560 bicycles, and six four-wheelers.

Police noted that only five vehicles were reclaimed by their owners from the tow yard following the last announcement.

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Government pays GMR US$ 4 million in arbitration fees

The Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) has paid US$4 million to Indian infrastructure giant GMR as compensation for legal costs of arbitration proceedings in Singapore.

Following an 18-month arbitration process, a Singapore tribunal ruled last month that a concession agreement with the GMR-led consortium to manage and develop the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) was “valid and binding” and held the government and MACL “jointly and severally liable in damages” for losses caused by the premature termination of the contract in December 2012.

The Singapore Court of Appeal ordered the Maldivian government and the 100 percent government-owned airports company to pay GMR US$4 million within 42 days for the cost of arbitration proceedings.

Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad told Sun Online last week that the US$4 million was paid out of the MACL’s revenues and not the state budget.

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