Category: News in Brief

Three assault cases a day on average reported to police

As of August this year, 775 assault cases have been reported to police, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ali Rasheed said last night at a ceremony to revive the spirit of Ramadan.

MNBC One reports that Rasheed noted that the number of reported incidents amounted to three assault cases a day, adding that the cases included three fatalities this year.

Rasheed said that “obstruction to police investigation of assault cases” from parents and some segments of society was an obstacle to police efforts to combat crime.

Speaking at last night’s religious programme, Rasheed observed that 1,519 cases of assault were reported last year, the majority of which involved youth offenders.

Meanwhile two men were taken into custody around 2:45am early this morning on suspicion of planning an assault.

According to police, the pair were forcibly arrested in a small alley near Scoop Restaurant by the Maafanu Police Station who were alerted by a member of the public.

A one-foot long Bennet knife was confiscated from one of the suspects.

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Nine year old boy dies after apparent suicide attempt

A nine year-old boy who was hospitalised following an apparent suicide attempt on Thinadhoo in Gaaf Dhaal Atoll on July 29 has died of his injuries.

Haveeru reported a family member as stating that doctors at Indhira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGHM) had given up hope for the child’s recovery last week, and that the boy’s condition deteriorated after he was removed from intensive care yesterday.

Police said at the time that the boy was found hanging from a coconut palm and was rescued by his 14 year-old brother.

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Agreement signed with India for US$40 million line of credit

An agreement has been signed with the Indian Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) for a US$40 million line of credit for 500 housing units to be built with assistance from the Indian government.

According to the Maldives High Commission in New Delhi, India, the agreement was signed Friday with the High Commission’s Councillor Aishath Azima signing on behalf of the Maldives and Chairman T. C . A Ranganadhan on behalf of the bank.

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47 road accidents in first week of Ramadan

A total of 47 road accidents were reported across the country in the first week of Ramadan, according to police, compared to 38 accidents in the corresponding period last year.

Apart from the capital Male’ where the highest number of accidents are reported particularly during Ramadan, a number of accidents have occurred in the southern atolls of Laamu, Fuahmulah and Addu.

While no serious injuries have been reported, an accident in Hulhumale’ last week resulted in a fatality.

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MIRA’s board to discuss accepting payments in local currency

The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority’s (MIRA) board has yet to decide whether to follow a directive from the Finance Ministry to accept tax payments in local currency, Haveeru reports.

A MIRA official explained that laws such as the Tourism Act and Tourism Goods and Services Tax Act stipulated that payments must be made in US dollars.

“The services for which payments can be legally charged with the local currency will be charged accordingly from today, like the Airport Service Tax. It is stated that this tax can be charged in local currency. Also, some agreements do not specify a particular currency and so if both sides agree fees under such agreements will also be received in Rufiyaa,” the official told Haveeru.

MIRA board member Abbas Adil Riza meanwhile said that “MIRA’s administrative employees will follow the board’s instructions and not directives of the Finance Ministry. We are trying to implement laws.”

In a bid to alleviate the acute dollar shortage affecting the country, cabinet decided last week that all fees and taxes collected by the government must be paid in Dhivehi rufiya.

While the Maldives Association of Construction Industries (MACI) welcomed the move, the association’s President Mohamed Ali Janah told Haveeru yesterday that the government should also find alternative sources of revenue in US dollars.

“The way I see it, the government is taking on the dollar burden previously put up with by the businesses and individuals. If so the government has to come up with alternative sources of dollar income. If the government is also to obtain dollars from the market, the shortage will increase in magnitude,” he said.

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Government to release full details of economic reform agenda

The government will publicise its entire economic reform agenda at a launch on Monday, President Mohamed Nasheed has said.

Speaking during his weekly radio address, Nasheed downplayed the “unfavourable consequences” of the reforms he said were being predicted by some members of parliament and “a few business associations”, stated that the package of bills would allow further development and promote growth in the Maldives.

Nasheed also noted that 40 convicts had been released under the government’s ‘Second Chance’ program and were currently being rehabilitated. The government is also running a program to train 8500 local workers in various skills, in a bid to combat widespread unemployment, particularly among young people.

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MIRA sues to recover over US$2.5 million from Giraavaru Island Resort

The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has filed a case at the Civil Court today to recover over US$2.5 million owed to the state by Giraavaru Island Resort owner Abdul Rauf, M. Sunrose.

Haveeru reports that the US$2.5 million was incurred as fines for non-payment of lease rent. The resort had failed to make timely rent payments for the past three years.

MIRA calculated the fine at 0.5 percent of the amount due for every additional day after the rent payment deadline.

The tax collection authority appealed today for a court order to compel Rauf to make the payments in full. The judge adjourned the first hearing after providing a ten-day period for Rauf to respond to the claim.

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Coastguard rescues crew of capsized boat

The coastguard of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) rescued three crewmen of a boat that capsized around 3:00am this morning.

According to MNDF, the “Sharaf 4” 83-foot long boat was carrying wood and timber from Male’ when it encountered rough seas en route to the south and capsized in the Kaafu Vaadhoo sea.

The three crewmen – two Maldivians and one foreigner – was rescued at sea by the coastguard and brought back to Male’.

Divers from the coastguard has meanwhile been dispatched to help recover the submerged vessel.

As the cargo of the boat was lost at sea, the coastguard has appealed vessels traveling through the Vaadhoo sea to be wary of floating wood.

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