Category: News in Brief

President to attend B4E summit in South Korea

President Mohamed Nasheed has confirmed his participation in the upcoming B4E Business for Environment Global Summit in Seoul, Republic of South Korea, from 21-23 April, reports Miadhu.

The summit is an international summit for dialogue and business-driven action for the environment, with some of the topics on the agenda being resource efficiency, renewable energy and climate change policies and strategies.

CEOs and senior executives will join politicians, international agencies and NGOs to discuss bridging the fight against climate change and the business world.

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Minister for Health “never answers the phone”, complains MP

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Rasheed has publicly complained that Minister for Health Dr Aiminath Jameel has “a world record” for not responding to phone calls.

During questioning of the minister, Rasheed criticised her for never answering calls.

Aiminath responded that she would answer her mobile phone if she was available.

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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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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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