maldives news – Page 947 – Minivan News

Government inherited outstanding debts of US$446 million, says Finance Minister

The former government left a dispersed outstanding debt of US$446.5 million owed to foreign and local banks, Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz informed MPs today during Minister’s Question Time in parliament.

In response to a query by Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed about the amount of loans obtained by the previous and incumbent governments, Inaz revealed that as of April 30 2011, the new administration has taken loans amounting to US$196.4 million.

“Out of that, US$5.1 million has been paid back in accordance with the agreement,” he said. “Therefore, the total dispersed outstanding amount is US$191.2 million.”

Inaz stressed that the loans of both governments were being paid on schedule “without any default.”

Outstanding debts of the previous government included a loan obtained for a fisheries project in 1979, Inaz said.

Asked by MP Abdulla Yameen – leader of minority opposition People’s Alliance – if the figures provided included receipts from sale of treasury bills, Inaz explained that “the total figures I’ve provided do not include treasury bills because the question today was about loans, which is different from securities.”

The total domestic debt in November 2008 – including T-bills issued by the former government – when the new administration took office stood at Rf809 (US$52.4 million), Inaz revealed.

“As of July, 2011, there is now Rf4.9 million (US$317,700) as total debt in T-bills,” he said, adding that parliament approved a budget with Rf1.3 billion (US$84 million) from issuance of T-bills to cover recurrent expenditure.

Inaz noted that the state budget passed by parliament in past years was structurally in deficit, with expenditure outstripping revenue: “To solve this, the tax bills proposed by the government has to be passed and I hope the honourable Majlis will solve this,” he said.

Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim – who as Finance Minister oversaw the expansionary fiscal policies – meanwhile asked to clarify if the total outstanding debt of the former government included foreign loans to assist victims displaced by the December 2004 Asian tsunami.

According to a UNDP paper on the Maldives’ debt sustainability published in December 2010, “as a percentage of GDP, public debt levels have almost doubled from 55 percent in 2004 to approximately 97 percent in 2010.”

“Public debt service as a percent of government revenues will more than double between 2006 and 2010 from under 15 percent to over 30 percent,” the paper noted. “The IMF [International Monetary Fund] recently classified the country as ‘at high risk’ of debt distress. From a human development perspective, the extent to which increased debt service obligations may put at risk key social and infrastructure expenditures give serious cause for concern.”

In May, 2011, the IMF warned that the Maldives “continues to suffer from large fiscal and external imbalances.”

The IMF agreed to a “medium-term” policy from the government to reduce its budget deficit “substantially”, “both through additional revenue measures – which would require the support and approval of the Majlis – and through expenditure restraint.“

“The authorities have introduced an initial voluntary separation plan for government employees and are continuing their detailed analysis of the public service, with an eye toward right-sizing government over the medium term,” the IMF noted.

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Finance Secretary Ahmed Mausoom appointed President’s Chief of Staff

President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday appointed Ahmed Mausoom as Chief of Staff of the President’s Office, the country’s highest administrative authority and a post with the same rank as Minister.

As Chief of Staff, Mausoom will direct the daily functions of the President’s Office under the President and Vice President.

Mausoom was formerly Finance Secretary, a post he has held since Nasheed assumed office on November 11, 2008.

A founding member of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Mausoom lived in exile in Sri Lanka for many years prior to being granted political asylum in the UK in 2004. He returned to the Maldives in 2006 to promote political reform in the country alongside then-opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed.

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President visits exhibition featuring his portrait at National Art Gallery

President Mohamed Nasheed has visited an exhibition of work by Maldivian artist Abdulla Nashaath that opened at the National Art Gallery last month.

The exhibition of 95 works, titled “Nashaath – Skill and Realism through Pencil”, includes a portrait of President Nasheed.

Nashaath has used pencil to draw portraits of local and international celebrities. In a statement on the President’s Office website, Nashaath said that “paving the way and expressing my thoughts” is important to strengthen the fundamentals of the infant stages of democracy in Maldives.

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MPs debate motion without notice on Dhiyamigili blackout

A partisan row erupted in parliament today during a debate on a motion without notice proposed by minority opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed condemning a four-day long electricity blackout in Thaa Atoll Dhiyamigili.

Today’s sitting was adjourned at 12:00pm after several MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) objected to the motion as the damaged engine at the Dhiyamigili powerhouse had been repaired and electricity was back on at 4.10am this morning. MP Ali Mohamed, presiding over the sitting in the absence of Speaker Abdulla Shahid, adjourned the sitting after heated rows broke out in the chamber.

Under parliamentary rules, motions without notice could be submitted to open the floor to an impromptu debate on issues of national importance. However because besides offering MPs an opportunity to voice their views, no concrete action results from a motion without notice, MDP MPs argued that such motions were “a waste of Majlis’ time.”

Presenting the motion, MP Riyaz Rasheed urged the people of Dhiyamigili to sue the utility company for compensation as refrigerated foodstuff had been damaged in the island.

Riyaz’s Thaa Atoll colleague, MDP MP Mohamed Musthafa meanwhile alleged that Home Minister Hassan Afeef was behind the blackout and urged the people of Dhiyamigili to “chase out the utility company employees.”

Other MDP MPs however pointed out that MP Riyaz Rasheed’s company Meridian Service was being sued by the State Trading Organisation (STO) to recover over Rf19 million (US$1.4 million) owed for oil released on credit as well as Rf384,198 (US$29,800) as fines for non-payment.

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Driver of quad-bike was son of resort shareholder, police reveal

The Maldives Police Service have identified the driver of the quad-bike that crashed and killed two British honeymooners on Kuredu Island Resort as 23 year-old Swedish national Filip Eugen Petre.

Filip Petre is the son of a shareholder of the company that operates the resort, and was employed by the company as a guest relations officer trainee, police stated.

The young couple from West Yorkshire, Emma and Jonathan Gray, were riding on the quad-bike as passengers when it collided with a tree around 4:00am on August 6. The UK press reported that the couple had been married for just seven days and had a six-month old son, Jake.

“Investigation into the incident has so far revealed that the accident occurred while the three were riding a four-wheel vehicle – a King Quad 700 – and crashed into a tree in the middle of the path,” police said in a statement today.

“Upon hearing of the accident the island doctor went to the scene of the accident and attempted to treat the victims, but told police that there was no sign of life from the two English tourists.”

Filip Petre suffered injuries in the crash and is currently being treated in hospital in Male’.

Jonathan Gray’s twin brother Michael told the Yorkshire Post that the family was “absolutely on our knees. We’re in shock and all pulling together as one big family.”

“They were the perfect couple. They were both high flyers, both doing well in their careers. They had such a great future ahead of them.”They were soulmates and their little boy was so special to them. Jake’s with us at the moment, with family,” he said.

Meanwhile students at West Yorkshire primary school – at which Emma Gray was a teacher – were being offered counselling following her death.

Deputy Head teacher Liz Whetham told the Post that Gray was an “outstanding” teacher and that staff and pupils were devastated.

“At the moment we’re taking each day as it comes, but we will be organising a memorial event for Emma in September, and setting up a book of condolence,” Whetham told the paper.

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Maldivian fishermen to teach pole-and-line method to Seychellois, says President Nasheed

A bilateral agreement has been reached for Maldivian fishermen to instruct the Seychellois in environment-friendly pole-and-line fishing methods, President Mohamed Nasheed told press yesterday upon his return from an official visit to Seychelles this month.

President Nasheed explained that the Seychellois fisheries industry was based on long-line fishing by licensed foreign parties, with an annual catch of 250,000 tonnes compared to 140,000 tonnes per annum in the Maldives.

Long-line fishing and bottom trawling in the Indian Ocean has adversely affected fishing in the Maldives, which has been declining steadily for the past eight years.

“Our thinking was to carry out discussions with the Seychelles government for the Maldives to help introduce pole-and-line fishing to the Seychellois people,” he said.

While about 25,000 Maldivians were employed in fishing with 5,000 privately-owned fishing boats, Nasheed continued, the Seychellois were not involved in the local fishing industry in the country.

“We believe that if this is done, the Seychelles government could easily stop issuing [fishing] licenses without any loss,” he said. “The Seychelles government has agreed for Maldivian fishermen to go to Seychelles, fish there and teach pole-and-line fishing skills to the Seychelles people.”

Discussions also took place over the possibility of establishing a trans-national shipping line comprising the Indian Ocean island states of Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros Islands and La Reunion, President Nasheed revealed.

A team with officials from the five nations is to be formed with a view to forming a joint shipping line with a board representing all the countries, Nasheed said.

“The third point we discussed with the Seychelles government was to import goods jointly,” he said, adding that a mechanism for joint imports would significantly lower the prices of oil, foodstuff and pharmaceuticals.

Nasheed also noted the remarkable economic recovery of the Seychelles following the turnaround of its economic policies – which was faced with similar macro-economic challenges as the Maldives – including foreign exchange, market liberalisation and floating of the rupee.

President Nasheed said that the Maldives can learn from the Seychelles’ successful economic reform activities and recovery following its debt crisis in 2008.

Speaker Abdulla Shahid – who participated in the visit along with senior MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party – meanwhile discussed the possibility of forming an inter-parliamentary organisation for Indian Ocean island states.

President Nasheed however added that the “main purpose” of the official visit was to attend the opening of the Indian Ocean Island Games of 2011 and provide support and encouragement to the Maldivian sports teams, which was one of the largest delegations from the country for an international sporting event.

The competitions at the games include football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, laser sailing, badminton, weight lifting, boxing, table tennis, cycling, and judo.

Maldives is participating in the basketball, volleyball and badminton events. The national football team drew its first two matches against Mauritius and Comoros and are due to face host nation Seychelles tonight at 7:00pm local time.

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Police jeep crashes into house

A police jeep providing security for a State Electricity Company (STELCO) van collided with a motorbike and a car, swerved out of control and crashed into a wall this morning.

Sun Online reports that according to eyewitnesses the collision occurred when the car slid in between the police jeep and STELCO van.

Following the initial accident, the jeep backed into the STELCO entrance area and hit a parked motorbike on its way out. The jeep then lost control and crashed into the wall of a nearby house, which was reportedly not damaged.

While eyewitnesses claimed that the police jeep driver fainted upon impact, police have not confirmed any details as an investigation is ongoing.

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95 percent of juvenile offenders school dropouts, reveals Juvenile Justice report

The vast majority of juvenile offenders reported to the Juvenile Justice Unit (JJU) between April 1 and June 30 this year do not attend school, according to a report released by the JJU this week.

Of the 22 minors aged 16 to 18 referred to the unit in the three-month period, 95 percent had dropped out of school at the eighth or ninth grades while most do not live with their parents.

“It is possible that the children living under the care of other guardians for the purpose of studies or other reasons and not living with their parents could be a reason leading them to commit crimes,” the report notes.

It adds that the most children prone to delinquency belonged to gangs and were deprived of access to education and recreation facilities suitable to their age.

While the most common offences by juveniles include violent assault, drug abuse and theft, two of the 22 juveniles offenders were involved in a murder case.

The majority of arrests were meanwhile made in the capital Male’.

As part of its restorative justice mandate, the JJU isolates juvenile offenders at the Correctional Training Centre in Feydhoo Finolhu for rehabilitation programmes designed to reform delinquents.

The centre was opened on July 26, 2010 with 14 children and accredited educational courses on offer.

Offending children released from the centre are monitored with the help of Family and Children Centres in the atolls, the report notes, but lack of job opportunities remained “a major challenge.”

A draft Juvenile Justice Bill has meanwhile been sent to the Attorney General’s Office to create a legal framework to honour the country’s commitments under international conventions.

The legislation would establish a juvenile justice system separate from the criminal justice system for adults to “provide the special protection and assistance due to children.”

According to the report, a life-skills training and parental skills training programme with UNICEF assistance is due to be launched this year for JJU staff.

“Following [the training programmes], students and parents will be offered training and information,” it reads. “In addition, a feasibility study is to be conducted this year on community based rehabilitation with the help of a foreign consultant.”

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All resorts subscribed to pension scheme

The Maldives Pension Administration Office has subscribed every resort in the Maldives to the government’s new pension scheme with the recent inclusion of Lily Beach Resort and Island Hideaway at Dhonakulhi, reports Haveeru.

Employers will be obligated to allocate pensions for privately employed local workers from May, and will face fines for non-compliance.

“We are now calling noteworthy companies out of those that haven’t participated in the scheme. There are also some companies that have registered but not enlisted employees in the scheme,” Haveeru reported Pension Office Director Ismail Shujau as saying.

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