Day: December 4, 2014

Anti-smuggling MoU signed between police

The Maldives National Defence Force has today signed an MoU with the police and customs services to tackle the smuggling of illegal items via large containers.

The MoU will establish a special task force, reported local media, with Commissioner General Zuhoor noting that agreement was signed in collaboration with the United Nation’s office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and World Customs Organisation (WCO).

A statement from police reported Zuhoor as saying that the agreement would assist in identifying and confiscating drugs, weapons, and other material which might lead to terrorism, coming in through containers.

The Maldives’ main port in Malé handles over 50,000 containers every year.

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New Maldives Media Council leadership take oaths

The Maldives Media Council has today appointed a new chair and deputy chair  after months of dispute over the media watchdog’s leadership.

Mohamed Asif and Ahmed Shareef Nafis were appointed to the chair and deputy chair positions, respectively after standing unopposed, reports Haveeru.

The appointment of Abdulla Muaz as president in February was quickly overturned after fellow council members ruled that his selection had not followed due process.

Additionally, plans to hold MMC elections on September were postponed by the home ministry due to the eligibility of inactive media organisations – prompting a re-registration process.

The fifteen member council consists of 8 members from the public and 7 from the media – all of whom have now been selected. The council is tasked with ensuring freedom of media and enforcing ethical guidelines.

Source: Haveeru

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Malé water supply cut after fire at MWSC

Malé Water and Sewerages Company (MWSC) has cut off all water supplies in the capital Malé after underground cables connecting the switch room and generator caught fire.

Local media reported MWSC – the sole provider of clean desalinated water in the capital – as saying that the water services had to be cut off in order to control the damage and that the service was employing all available means to restart the service within the next few hours.

The company has announced that water will be made available temporarily between 8pm – 9pm this evening, and again between 8am and 9pm tomorrow.

Minister of Defence Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim has declared the situation a disaster, setting up a task force and distributing free water via local shops. Local media has begun to report long queues forming outside shops to buy water as well as the price being increased in certain stores.

Police have confirmed one shopkeeper has been attacked, with Vaguthu reporting the assault as resulting from a failure to sell customers the desired amount of water.

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) spokesperson Major Hussain Ali told Minivan News that the fire was reported to the fire and rescue department at around 1.40pm.

“MNDF officers were on the scene shortly and started working on controlling the fire. The fire was completely extinguished at around 3.25pm,” said Major Hussain.

An MNDF press statement detailing the incident read that the firemen on scene removed some of the ducts in order determine the source of the fire and that a separate team were then called to clear the thick smoke observed in the area.

Police confirmed that they are now investigating the cause of the fire.

MWSC does not rely on electricity generated by State Electric Company but instead operates its own generators to provide electricity for the desalination plant.

Most households in the capital rely on MWSC for their daily water needs, with well water – the traditional method of acquiring water – having become unhygienic due to poor drainage and leakage of contaminants into groundwater.

*story updated at 8:15pm

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5,530 trained in Maldives’ largest ever ICT programme

The Indian government along with the Ministry of Education have trained 5,530 individuals in 42 islands as part of the Maldives largest ever ICT education programme.

The ‘Technology for the Future of the Next Gen’ project was conducted with US$5.3 million in Indian aid and implemented by India’s NIIT Ltd educational services company in association with Electrical Engineering Equipment Company (EEEC) of Chennai, India.

“Capacity building has been and shall remain the cornerstone of our bilateral relationship. I am sure when the seafarers of both countries fished together in the Indian Ocean several millennia back, they exchanged a tip or two about the best fishing practices,” said Indian High Commissioner Rajeev Shahare at the programme’s closing ceremony today.

“This sharing of knowledge and expertise has continued through several centuries and today India offers one of the most comprehensive training programs for Maldivians.”

Shahare said that the programme – aimed at improving the skills of teachers and providing vocational training for youth – had covered one out of every three Maldivian teachers as well as and 2,500 youngsters since January 2011.

As well as revealing positive feedback from participants, a project summary cited the Maldives Police Commissioner Hussein Waheed as saying that the crime rate had dropped by 80 to 90 percent in the atolls where the youth training was conducted.

Education Minister Dr Aishath Shaheem expressed gratitude towards Indian government for the project, highlighting the importance of such programmes to provide teachers with adequate IT skills.

Haa Dhaalu Kulhuduffushi saw the highest teacher participation with 287 teachers, while Haa Alifu Dhihdhoo saw the highest overall participation in the project with 575 participants – 401 of them receiving vocational IT training.

“Now I can create different type of teaching aids and use them effectively in my teaching. This eventually helps my student understand complex topics very easily,” read the testimony of Aminath Shahidha of Haa Dhaalu Kumundhoo School.

In his speech, the Indian high commissioner also pointed out the importance of the upcoming year, which marks the golden jubilee of Maldivian independence and 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Shahare noted that an MoU had recently been signed between the Maldives Civil Service Commission and the Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad for training of Maldivian civil servants on a regular basis in India.

Training opportunities in Indian continue to be made available to the Maldivian security services, said Shahare, adding that over 5000 Maldivian students educated in India over the past decade was one of the “pillars of the strong people-to-people contacts between the two countries”.

An Indian-built tourism training faculty was opened in Malé earlier this, while the high commissioner revealed plans for similar facilities for the Maldives police and the Maldives National Defence Force.

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited the Maldives earlier this week, discussing security and defence issues with government leaders as well as pledging expeditious action on all agreed steps to supply petroleum products to Maldives.


Related to this story

Tourism faculty and naval craft to be handed over during Indian minister’s visit

India – Maldives Friendship Festival kicks off

India to conduct third medical camp this year, in Huvadhoo atoll

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Nasheed calls proposed changes to Supreme Court bench unconstitutional

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has called the plans to reduce the number of judges on the Supreme Court bench from seven to five unconstitutional.

While speaking to the press before departing for a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rallys in Haa Dhaalu Atoll, Nasheed accused President Abdulla Yameen of trying to stack the bench in his favor.

“The constitution states the required procedure to bring changes to the bench of the Supreme Court. After extensive legal council we have deliberated that the proposed changes would be unconstitutional,” said Nasheed.

The amendments brought to the parliament by MDP MP Ibrahim ‘Mavota’ Shareef have been rejected by the party after the its national executive council convened and voted that the amendments were against its policies.

Speaking about the amendments, MDP Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim ‘Ibu’ Mohamed Solih said Shareef had not consulted the party before he submitted the changes.

However, the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has signaled the party’s support for the amendments with parliamentary group leader Ahmed Nihan said all ruling party MPs would support the proposal and that the PPM would welcome judicial reform.

Presenting the bill to the parliament Shareef said that he believed the number of judges on the apex court was too high for a country the size of the Maldives.

Nasheed had previously said that changing the number of judges on the Supreme Court bench would not amount to judicial reform.

Meanwhile, MDP MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik – who has announced intentions to contest in the MDP’s 2018 presidential primary – appealed for pro-government MPs to cooperate with the party’s efforts to reform the judiciary.

Moosa described the formation of the current Supreme Court bench as a “shameful” political bargain between the MDP and then–opposition parties in 2010.

Nihan praised both Shareef and Moosa and suggested that the number of judges on the apex court was worth considering.

Former President Nasheed also reiterated party concerns with the annual state budget for the upcoming year which the party has previously labelled as aimless and serving only for administrative purposes.

The Supreme Court has recently been involved in numerous controversies both in and out of the court room.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court used a ‘suo moto’ proceeding – allowing the Court to act as both the plaintiff and the judge – against the Elections Comission (EC).

EC president Fuwad Thowfeek and Vice President Ahmed Fayaz were subsequently charged with contempt of court and disobedience to order, being sentenced to six months in jail after the court used testimony given in the People’s Majlis independent commission’s oversight committee.

More recently, the court employed a similar ‘suo moto’ proceeding against the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) after it criticised the judiciary in its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for the UN Human Rights Council.

The court charged the HRCM with undermining the constitution and sovereignty of the Maldives by spreading lies about the judiciary.  It said that the UPR submission– based on a 2013 report by the UN Special Rapporteur for Independence of Judges and Lawyers Gabriela Knaul – was “poorly researched”, “irresponsible” and “dangerous”.

Knaul’s report had detailed the pressing need for judicial reform, noting that the five-member transitional Supreme Court had been replaced by a seven-member permanent bench in 2010 with “no legal or constitutional basis”.

June this year also saw Judge Ali Hameed – a sitting judge at the Supreme Court – cleared of a sex tape scandal after three recordings surfaced allegedly showing Ali Hameed engaging in sexual acts with three different woman.

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MDP, JP MPs propose 19 amendments to 2015 budget

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs and Jumhooree Party (JP) MPs submitted 19 amendments at yesterday’s sitting of parliament to the record MVR24.3 billion (US$1.5 billion) state budget for 2015.

Among the MDP’s nine amendments were scrapping plans to impose a 10 percent import duty on staple foodstuff and oil and allocating MVR100 million (US$6.4 million) and MVR75 million (US$4.8 million) respectively to provide subsidies for fishermen and farmers.

Other proposals included adding persons with disabilities and single parents as categories eligible for government subsidies to the poor and requiring the finance ministry to submit quarterly reports to parliament every three months concerning the implementation of the budget.

The minority party has issued a three-line whip for its MPs to vote against the budget if none of the proposed revisions are passed.

The JP’s 10 amendments meanwhile included providing MVR50 million (US$3.2 million) in subsidies to fishermen and MVR40 million (US$2.5 million) to farmers, ensuring sufficient funds for local councils and allocating MVR5 million (US$324,254) out of the contingency budget for local NGOs that provide education and training to persons with special needs.

The party also proposed conducting a survey to determine discrepancies in salary and allowances among state employees.

The 19 amendments were proposed after Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Nihan – chair of the budget review committee – presented a report prepared by the committee following its review process

While the committee had passed the budgetlast week without significant changes to revenue or expenditure, pro-government MPs proposed a number of recommendations to reduce recurrent expenditure.

However, amendments proposed by MDP and JP MPs during the budget review process did not pass at the committee.

Reflecting its combined 48-seat majority in the 85-member house, PPM and coalition partner Maldives Development Alliance MPs held a voting majority on the committee.

During yesterday’s debate on the budget committee report, JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim warned that introducing new taxes could damage the economy and the tourism industry.

The business tycoon claimed that Seychelles and Mauritius “went bankrupt” when tourists stopped visiting due to excessive taxation.

Occupancy rates at Maldivian resorts declined in November as a result of imposing the reintroduced US$8 bed tax along with a 12 percent Tourism Goods and Services Tax (T-GST), Gasim contended.

Industry insiders recently told Minivan News that the high-end resorts would struggle to deal with any additional taxation following the recent rise of T-GST.

According to the Maldives Monetary Authority’s monthly economic review for October, however, the occupancy rate during the month remained unchanged at 81 percent compared to the same period last year.

In October 2014, total bednights rose marginally in annual terms while the average duration of stay decreased slightly and stood at 6.0 days,” the central bank noted.

Gasim meanwhile said the JP would vote for the budget despite misgivings, which included lack of funds for establishing pre-schools and insufficient funds allocated for independent institutions and the judiciary.

Adjourning yesterday’s sitting, Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed announced that the amendments would be put to a vote next Tuesday ahead of a final vote on the 2015 budget.

Related to this story

Finance minister presents record MVR24.3 billion state budget to parliament

MPs quiz finance minister about revenue raising measures

Committee passes budget, recommends constitutional amendment to reduce independent commissions

MDP parliamentary group issues three-line whip against proposed 2015 budget

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Rare sightings expected at second Whale Shark Festival

Gangehi island resort in Alif Alif Atoll welcomed an unusual tourist this week, as a baby whale shark was temporarily accommodated before being released in the same spot it had been caught by fishermen earlier in the day.

The 1.5ft shark – named ‘Noomaa’ or Blue Flower by its hosts – was hailed by marine experts as “extremely rare” and a sign that there may have been a change in breeding cycles.

“The sighting of a neonate [newborn] whale shark in the Maldives is hugely exciting because of how rare such encounters are – there has only been a handful of neonate encounters recorded globally,” said Richard Rees, director of the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP).

But whether Noomaa – who could grow up to 12 metres long, and weigh up to 21 tonnes – will be seen again remains a mystery, explained Rees, as little is known about the animals behaviour and breeding patterns.

However, guaranteed sightings of the species can be expected further south in Alif Dhaalu Dhangethi this weekend when three of the gentle giants – the largest known fish species – will swim through the streets.

The model sharks – designed and created by the local artists – will be joined by a giant green turtle, butterfly fish, and a manta ray as part of the second annual Maldives Whale Shark Festival.

Organised by the MWSRP, the festival represents the culmination of five months of community engagement which has produced artwork celebrating the atoll’s marine diversity.

Started as a scientific expedition in 2006, MWSRP has grown to become the only long-­term organisation dedicated to study the iconic, yet vulnerable whale shark species in the Maldives.

Since that time, the programme has logged over 1,500 encounters with whale sharks as well as helping to establish the world’s first training manual to educate industry stakeholders on sustainable whale shark tourism.

A proliferation of boat strike incidents in the increasingly crowded Alif Dhaalu atoll demonstrates the need to protect the creatures as they play an increasing role in the tourism industry.

“The community needs to be invested in the preservation of this iconic fish.  It’s essential that there is a good level of awareness as to the value of the whale shark to South Ari atoll and the country as a whole,” explained Rees.

“That’s what this festival is all about, raising awareness in a creative and fun way. Everyone who values the whale shark and it’s habitat, coming together and celebrating the largest fish on the planet and its significance to them and their region.”

A core part of the programme’s attempts to advance the field of whale shark knowledge while advocating for sound conservation policies involves encouraging community and industry stakeholder participation.

“This is  just  the  beginning – we  plan on putting  the  festival  on the cultural calendar for the Maldives, bringing people from across the country and the world together to celebrate the rich marine and cultural diversity of the archipelago,” explained Festival Director Chloe Osborne.

The Maldives is unique as the only place known to have year-round whale shark populations, which have been protected under Maldivian law since 1996, and are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – also a partner in Saturday’s festival.

This weekends efforts will help in the continued endeavour to uncover the answers to many of questions that remain about the lives of these ocean giants.

“The whale shark is a particularly challenging creature to research because of the amount of time it spends at depth and far out to sea. But anything we can learn helps us to make decisions about how to protect it,” said Rees.

Indeed, Noomaa’s surprise visit to Gangehi resort this week has raised more questions than it has answered – including whether he has headed south to attend this weekend’s festival.

While it could be surmised from Noomaa’s appearance that the Maldives must be a pupping site for whale sharks, Rees noted that it was also possible that he was swept into the archipalego by ocean currents and perhaps chased into shallow waters by predators.

“Truth be told no one really knows where whale sharks breed but it’s thought that it occurs deep down and far out to sea.”

“We hope that like many of the individual whale sharks we see Noomaa becomes a regular visitor to Ari atoll.”

The Maldives Whale Shark Festival carnival will take place in Alif Dhaalu Dhangethi this Saturday (December 6) at 1pm.


Related to this story

Maldives resorts, local communities participating in whale shark festival

Tourists attempting to ride whale sharks in South Ari Atoll

President launches Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

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