Category: News in Brief

Six bids for US$60 million Hulhumale land reclamation project: Housing Development Corporation

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has conducted a pre-bid meeting with six foreign parties interested in carrying out the second phase of the Hulhumale’ land reclamation project, reports local media.

With a cost of US$60 million the project is the largest of its kind in the Maldives, and will involve 230 hectares of reclaimed area suitable for a population of 100,000, Sun Online reported.

“Bids should come before the end of this month. As soon as bid evaluation is complete, the project would commence”, an HDC official was quoted as saying.

Companies involved in the bid included those with previous experience in the Maldives, including Royal Boskalis Westminster, Sun reported.

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Fines to be issued for people catching migratory birds: EPA

Maldives Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that people catching migratory birds will face fines of MVR 30,000 (US$1,941) and a further MVR 25,000 (US$1,618) for every additional bird.

Local media reported that migratory birds are protected under international and Maldivian law and that many different species of bird migrate to the country at this time of year.

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Is President Waheed in control, asks Eurasia Review

Looking at the developments in the Maldives, one gets the feeling that President (by accident as some prefer to call him) Waheed does not appear to be in control of the events, writes Dr. S Chandrasekharan for the Eurasia Review.

In a moment of frustration he is said to have remarked that “Everybody runs the State as they please”, and this has been widely reported in the press.

He is aware of the remarks of his own adviser Dr. Hassan Saeed who said that President Waheed is “politically the weakest person in the country” and yet Saeed is merrily carrying on and some suspect that he may even join hands with Waheed to contest the next presidential elections in 2013.

President Waheed’s own official spokesperson Abbas Adil Raza broke all diplomatic protocol and openly called the Indian High Commissioner as a “traitor and enemy of the Maldives and the Maldivian people” over the controversy surrounding the GMR agreement. Though he tried to distance himself away, it took a while for him to remove Raza from the post of official spokesperson, only to be given a ministerial post later.

Relations with India appear to be reaching rock bottom. Following the cancellation of the GMR agreement, the Indian Foreign Secretary summoned the Maldivian High Commissioner in Delhi and expressed India’s deep regret at that the unilateral move and had also warned that the decision will have a negative impact on bilateral relations.

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Establishments using unauthorised smoking permit signs: CCHDC

Establishments have been putting up unauthorised smoking permit signs in order to allow customers to smoke, local media has reported.

Under a new ‘no smoking’ regulation that came into effect on January 1, food and beverage establishments  obtain a special permit from the Ministry of Health in order to designate smoking areas.

Centre for Community Health and Disease Control (CCHDC) Deputy Director Hassan Mohamed told the Sun Online news service that the centre had been receiving complaints regarding non-permitted establishments designating smoking areas for its customers.

“Some of the parties that have not obtained the proper permit have started to designate their own smoking and no smoking areas for the customers,” he was reported as saying.

“We are taking action regarding this. We are receiving a lot of complaints regarding this too.”

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Government seeking $150 million loan for Male’ – Hulhule’ bridge

Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad has said the government is seeking a $150 million loan for the construction of a bridge between the islands of Male’ and Hulhule’, local media has reported.

Jihad was reported as saying that he will be travelling to Turkey, along with Housing Minister Dr Ahmed Muizzu and senior Finance Ministry officials to continue discussions with Turkey’s Exim bank to obtain the loan.

“We are presently in discussion with Turkey’s Exim bank to obtain a $150 million loan for this project. The decision has been made to travel to Turkey for this purpose, but the loan is not yet confirmed,” Jihad was quoted as saying in Sun Online.

“This is a very important project. We have detailed plans, which we will present to them.”

According to local media, the decision to build the bridge was made in December 2011 in order to find a solution to the problem of congestion in Male’.

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Maldives cleric’s murder raises fears of growing religious extremism: The Guardian

“The killers worked quickly. Their victim did not even have time to reach his own front door, only a few yards away. Stabbed repeatedly in the head and back, Afrasheem Ali, member of parliament and a cleric, bled to death in minutes,” writes Jason Burke for The Guardian newspaper.

“The murder in Malé, the capital of the Maldives, in October shocked many. Claim and counterclaim quickly circulated. The police hinted the killers of the cleric, from a party loyal to the former autocratic ruler of the island nation, had political links to the opposition. But according to Ibrahim, a gang leader in Malé, the murderers were from a gang of extremist Muslims angered by Ali’s moderate views. The cleric was slain immediately after a live television show in which he discussed his faith.

“I met the men who attacked him in prison. They are kind of fanatics. They are different to other gangs because they are religiously minded and think anyone who doesn’t think like them is not a true Muslim and can be killed,” Ibrahim said.

To read more click here.

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Equatorial Convention Centre in Addu owes MVR 4 million in electricity bills

The Equatorial Convention Centre (ECC) in Addu City owes MVR 4 million (US$ 259,235) in unpaid electricity bills, local media has claimed.

Head of Southern Utilities Company Abdullah Zuhair was reported to have said that the ECC has not paid any electricity bills since it was opened.

According the Zuhair, both the Finance Ministry and Housing Ministry have been requested to pay the money, but no response has yet been received.

Mayor of Addu City Abdullah Sodig told Sun Online there was nothing the council could do in regard to the unpaid bills as the ECC was not under its control. He further claimed that there are other issues facing the convention centre.

“The problem of unpaid electricity is not the only problem faced by ECC. There is no system to clean and monitor the centre either,” he was quoted as saying.

“The equipment that was initially taken there is also no longer there. The only things that remain are tables and chairs. We fear that the place might end up in ruins”

Over MVR 150 million (US$9.7 million), was spent on the construction of ECC in Addu City by the government of former President Nasheed for the 17th SAARC summit, local media claim.

“We had high hopes associated with ECC. We hoped that Addu City would be proud of ECC, that it would increase job opportunities for Addu City. But we don’t have much hope left now for these things,” Sodig told local media.

Late last month,  Male’ City Council (MCC) Mayor ‘Maizan’ Ali Manik claimed the capital was facing having its street lights “switched off” over an outstanding MVR 3.9 million (US$ 254,569) electricity bill.  The MCC at the time alleged that the Finance Ministry was responsible for the lack of payments.
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Customs cease services at ports failing to meet international standards

Ports that fail to meet certified international standards will no longer have services provided by the Maldives Customs Service, local media has reported.

According to the Sun Online news service, customs authorities have said that services to Thilafushi and other regional ports deemed failing to meet the required standards have already ceased.

Before a port can commence operations it will now be required to obtain a permit, local media has said.

To be eligible for a permit the port must be registered at the Transport Authority as a private port facility and must also meet the requirements stipulated in the laws and regulations of customs.

According to local media, customs authorities have said that ports will be given the permit after they present documents showing how much of the port has been surveyed, as well as a schedule and plan for completing all pending work.

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MTDC to temporarily operate Club Faru resort: Tourism Minister

The Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is to temporarily operate Club Faru resort, Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb has said.

Local media has reported that the MTDC will run the resort until the second phase of reclaiming Hulhumale’ begins this year.

On Saturday (January 5), the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture said it had assumed control of Club Faru after the resort’s operators failed to hand over the property following the expiry of their lease agreement.

Adheeb told Minivan News the next day (January 6) that the property was to be closed down within two months of the government taken over the resort this weekend.

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