Category: News in Brief

Police complete first response to terrorism incidents training

The Maldives Police Services has completed a three-day training on first responses to terrorism this morning.

The programme held in partnership with the US State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security trained 71 police officers.

A Sri Lankan counter-terrorism analyst told Indian Media last week that Maldives is a target of regional terrorists.

Rohan Gunaratna who heads the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University said a Sri Lankan national arrested in Chennai on suspicion on terrorist activities had been planning to launch attacks on locations in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India.

Meanwhile, The Maldives government has said funds are being raised in the country to support terrorism abroad, a recent US State Department country report on terrorism said.

The report also noted growing concern since 2010 “about the activities of a small number of local violent extremists involved with transnational terrorist groups.”

“There has been particular concern that young Maldivians, including those within the penal system, may be at risk of becoming radicalized and joining violent Islamist extremist groups. Links have been made between Maldivians and violent extremists throughout the world,” the report stated.

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Boskalis begins Thulusdhoo reclamation

Netherland’s Boskalis International has begun a 33-hectare reclamation project on Thulusdhoo Island in Kaafu Atoll.

The MVR 570 million (US$ 37 million) four-island reclamation project has garnered controversy with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stating that environmental regulations were violated in the recent dredging on Baa Atoll Eydhafushi Island.

Excavators used a method called the rainbow technique which propels sand and seawater through the air in an arc covering houses on the shoreline in fine sand and seawater.

In March, the EPA also halted dredging on Dhaalu Atoll Meedhoo for failure to build a barrier to contain excess dredge soil from spilling into the ocean.

In addition to Thulusdhoo, Eydhafushi, and Meedho, Boskalis will also be reclaiming land in Dhaalu Atoll Kudahuvadhoo Island.

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Indian Chief of Army Staff to visit Maldives

India’s Chief of Army Staff General Bikram Singh will arrive in Maldives tomorrow on a two-day official visit. During the visit he will hold official bilateral talks with Maldives’ Chief of Defence force Major General Ahmed Shiyam.

He is also expected to pay courtesy visits to President Abdulla Yameen and Minister of Defence and National Security Mohamed Nazim.

General Singh’s  predecessor Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor also visited the Maldives in February 2010.

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Maldives Trade Union set up to advocate for SME rights

A trade union to protect the rights of small and medium businesses has been established in the Maldives.

The Maldives Trade Union (MTU) held a meeting on May 5 to select members to its governing board. Founder Fuad Zahir was automatically appointed as MTU’s president. An estimated 180 businesses have joined the union, local media reports.

Zahir, who heads Treasure Biz International, called the Maldives’ nascent tax system “failed” and said there was a culture of increasing taxes in the country.

Zahir and the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) had previously clashed over his company’s refusal to register for the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

On receiving an audit notice in 2012, Zahir told the MIRA over the phone that it could not conduct an audit of the company and claimed the law authorizing MIRA to conduct audits were against the constitution, a 2013 statement from MIRA said.

MIRA then sent in auditors to seize documents from Treasure Biz in December, 2012. Zahir filed a case to retrieve the documents at the Civil Court, but MIRA returned the documents in January 2013 before a ruling was issued.

An official from the authority told Minivan News today said they had asked the Prosecutor General to file tax evasion charges against Treasure Biz.

The two Vice Presidents of MTU are Shamha Trader’s owner Abdul Rasheed, and Venus pvt ltd’s owner Ali Hussein.

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Police arrest an ‘illegal’ mango vendor

The Maldives Police Services arrested an expatriate mango vendor at the Malé local market for “illegal” mango vending, local media have reported.

The man had also set up shop in the parking zone. The police confiscated the vendor’s mango boxes and arrested a man who attempted to stop the expatriate vendor’s arrest.

Expatriate workers brought in on work visas are not allowed to work as vendors, Sun Online said.

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Three arrested in connection with drug cases

Police have arrested three persons in connection with three different drug related cases.

In a statement issued today the police said a 36 year-old man was arrested from the island of Dhaandhoo Island in Gaafu Alifu Atoll.

Police said the man had thrown away something on seeing police officers on patrol on the street, and when police officers examined the items they found it was a cellophane packed with illegal drugs.

Another 26 year-old man was also arrested from the island on May 6 with five cellophane packets containing illegal drugs.

The third person was arrested in Malé on May 5 with six rubber packets containing illegal drugs. The man had run away from the police when he was stopped on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs.

But police officers managed to arrest him and take him to Maafannu Police Station.

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President approves US$ 25 airport service charge hike

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has ratified a law raising airport service charge from departing foreign passengers to US$ 25.

The law will come into force in July and is part of the current administration’s revenue raising measures.

The government anticipates over MVR 100 million (US$ 6.4 million) in additional revenue from the increased departure tax.

The People’s Majlis has also approved other revenue raising measures proposed by the government, including hiking import duties, reintroducing the bed tax until the end of November, raising the Tourism Goods and Services Tax (T-GST), and introducing GST for telecommunications services from May 1.

A proposal by the administration of former President Mohamed Waheed to raise the service charge to US$30 was narrowly defeated in April 2013.

The 1978 law imposing the airport service charge on departing passengers was first amended under the Maldivian Democratic Party government and raised to US$18.5 for foreigners.

The imposition of a similar Airport Development Charge (ADC) of US$25 by Indian infrastructure group GMR was previously a major point of contention for the Waheed administration, which terminated the concession agreement with the GMR-led consortium to modernise the airport in December 2012.

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A National Enquiry on Access to Education for Children with Disabilities to commence hearings on Thursday

The National Inquiry on Access to Education for Children with Disabilities (AECD) along with the Human Rights Commission Maldives (HRCM) will be holding a hearing at the National Art Gallery from May 8 – 13th from 09:00 – 23:00.

The purpose of this inquiry is to look in to the practices, policies and laws related to the education for children with disabilities and to determine the States role in providing for people with disabilities in a non-discriminatory manner, with a special focus on the educational needs of children with disabilities.

The meetings will be used to collect statements from parents of children with disabilities. The AECD will then compile these into a report which they will present to the relevant Ministries, and the AECD will monitor how they are followed.

Representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education will also be present, said a member of the AECD.

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Government calls for Environmental Impact Assessment for new waste yard in Malé

Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure is seeking parties to conduct an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) to construct a waste yard on the south of Malé, local media have reported.

The Ministry will hold an information session on Thursday (May 8) for interested parties, who will be asked to submit the financial and technical proposals before 11:00 a.m. on 15 May, Housing Ministry said in an announcement on Monday.

In an effort to alleviate the long overdue waste management issue in the capital, the government is seeking to reclaim the lagoon area opposite Maafannu Stadium.

Waste is now collected on a barge docked near the Vilimalé ferry terminal, a temporary arrangement made after the City Council’s failure to empty the waste grounds in a timely manner, local media report.

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