Category: News in Brief

Indian Council for Cultural Relations to co-sponsor Islamic Fair

The Islamic Ministry and the Indian High Commission in the Maldives will hold a joint Islamic Fair next month in Malé and two other atolls, Haveeru reports.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations will be co-sponsoring the fair, to be held from September 3 to 18. Addu City has been selected as one site, but no island in the city has been chosen yet, the report states.

The fair, scheduled for Raa atoll earlier this year, was originally postponed due to bad weather.


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Sri Lanka must take cue from Maldives’ tourism tactic: Sunday Times

Sri Lanka’s The Sunday Times reviews successes and risks in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, highlighting the Maldives as an example of successful marketing in a tight economy.

“Sri Lanka could take a cue from the Maldives where active promotion in going on to promote the destination, additionally now as a mid-market destination, from a high-end location. Resorts in the Maldives charges rates from US$200-300 upwards to over $1000 per night, and the authorities are now looking to attract the mid-market clientele which is also Sri Lanka’s market – though the two markets have different attractions.”

Adverse publicity is a weakness for Sri Lankan tourism, the Times noted, citing the Maldives as an example of proactive marketing in a time of change.

“[The Maldives] islands are attracting thousands of Chinese, which has made China the biggest source market for the Maldives in the past two years. According to one travel agent in the Maldives, ‘every agent is scrambling to get a slice of the Chinese market.’ The Chinese are seen as the biggest tourism source market of the world while India is also becoming a huge travel market. Sri Lankan hotels are still western-oriented with a few frills to meet the needs of other travellers.”

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MATATO welcomes increase in advertising budget

The Maldives Association for Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) has welcomed a government pledge to increase the tourism advertising budget from US$1.5 million to US$7 million next year.

MATATO Secretary-General Mohamed Maleeh Jamal told Haveeru that the association had assurances from President Mohamed Nasheed of the increase during recent consultations with the government.

Maleeh explained that increased marketing activities and advertising would maintain the Maldives as an up-market tourist destination in the face of growing competition and help local travel agencies secure more bookings.

The advertising budget was reduced from US$7 million to US$1.5 million in 2009 as part of austerity measures in response to the severe impact of the global economic recession on the Maldivian economy, which saw tourist arrivals plummet 10 percent in the first year of the new administration.

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Police arrest suspect in attack on MP Nazim Rashad

Police have arrested a suspect in Wednesday night’s attack on MP Nazim Rashad, reports Haveeru.

Police confirmed that the 21 year-old suspect was arrested Thursday night but declined to reveal his identity.

An eyewitness told Haveeru that the MP for Thulhaadhoo was assaulted around 11.30pm by a person riding a GN motorcycle after he came out of the Thandoor Café on Buruzu Magu

“He hit Nazim in the mouth about three times and yelled at him before going away from the area on his motorcycle. The person parked his motorcycle and came to Nazim while he was walking on the pavement,” the eyewitness said.

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AAA Trading Company pays part of outstanding rent and fines

AAA Trading Company Ltd has paid part of the outstanding rent and fines owed by three of its resorts to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), reports Haveeru.

The company’s shareholders include MP Ahmed Hamza of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Economic Advisor to the President Ali Shiyam. According to Haveeru, the three resorts owed US$6.5 million as of July 5, 2011.

MIRA has confirmed that the company paid US$1.4 million owed as rent for Zitali Resort and Spa and Medhufushi Island Resort on August 7, which was however 23 percent of the total amount owed by the company as unpaid rent and fines.

On August 16, the Tourism Ministry requested the Finance Ministry to recover the outstanding rent and fines from seven resorts yet to settle its debts – including the three AAA Company resorts –  either through further negotiation or sale of resort properties.

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CBI search for missing Malayali teacher, husband, and Sri Lankan national ongoing

The search for a Malayali teacher who went missing from the Maldives seven years ago, and her husband who left their home in Hyderabad some time after, is being continued, reports the Sri Lankan paper Daily Mirror.

Cheruvathoor Anitha Nair, 37, of Kalladipetta at Ongallur and C. Ramachandran of Kannadi village, had been living in Hyderabad since 1991 along with their son, Vineeth Nair.

Ms. Anitha left her Hyderabad home for a job at Inguraidhoo School in Raa Inguraidhoo, Maldives, in January 2003. In October 2003, she returned to Hyderabad for a month’s leave. After seeing her off for the Maldives at Thiruvananthapuram airport in December, Ms. Anitha’s family has not heard from her.

Passport records show Ms. Anitha arriving in the Maldives, but departing for Sri Lanka the next day. Ms. Anitha is said to have left the Maldives with one Sreerangan, a Sri Lankan receptionist from the hotel at which Ms. Anitha allegedly stayed.

Sources say Sreerangan returned to Sri Lanka in 2004, reports the Daily Mirror. But the Chennai special branch of the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has not been able to trace Sreerangan. Anitha is said to have returned to Chennai in 2004.

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Sri Lanka’s US$10 million line of credit to build roads, relationships

A US$10 million line of credit for imported Sri Lankan goods has been established via Bank of Ceylon, President Mohamed Nasheed announced during his radio address yesterday morning.

The President said the agreement, which was signed by governments of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, will help those merchants importing goods from Sri Lanka, and reduce burdens caused by a shortage of foreign currency in the Maldives.

The President said that as part of the agreement, Sri Lanka will construct six   kilometer road in Addu City. This contribution will help the Maldivian government prepare for the SAARC Summit, to be held in Addu this year. The credit is also expected to finance additional high quality main roads in Feydhoo, Maradhoo and Maradhoo-Feydhoo of Addu City, the President reported.

President Nasheed said he is hopeful for improved mutual relations between the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Nasheed added that the Sri Lankan president has offered his full support in making the 2011 SAARC Summit successful.

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Annual youth challenge fair opens

The annual ‘Youth Challenge Fair’ at Dharubaaruge (convention centre) was inaugurated by Education Minister Shifa Mohamed last night.

According to newspaper Haveeru, this year’s fair features 73 stalls by 52 parties, including local and national universities and companies. The fair will conclude on Saturday night.

Unlike previous years, the Human Resource Ministry said that the fair includes a campaign to train youth for employment.

Human Resource Minister Hassan Latheef said that O’ Level or A’ Level results were not enough to secure jobs for school leavers.

A loan programme was higher education recently initiated by the ministry only offered 35 opportunities, said Latheef, for which 1,135 students applied. “That is how competitive it is,” he said.

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Business profit tax regulations published

Regulations under the Business Profit Tax Act, which came into force on July 18, 2011, have been published in the government gazette today.

A press statement by the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) today notes that a six-month period was given under article 42 of the Act to formulate important procedural rules and regulations.

The regulations specify rules for collecting taxes as well as conditions for tax exemptions.

The statement adds that an information guide was available on the MIRA website regarding the withholding tax applicable to Maldivians living overseas.

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