Tag: maldives

STO to import oil, staples and pharmaceuticals only

State wholesaler State Trading Organization (STO) will focus solely on importing fuel, food staples and pharmaceuticals, the Economic Council has announced at a press conference today.

The move is part of the government’s decision to move STO out of the retail business in order to encourage private businesses, Economic Development Minister Mohamed Saeed said.

However, the STO has recently launched a new brand of groceries called Noofahi as well as announcing plans to expand the supermarket at the STO Trading Center in Malé.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb added that STO will be restructured and will build new fuel storage facilities, establish a shipping fleet to import oil and will take measures to increase fuel security.

Meanwhile, STO MD Adam Azim today announced a MVR1.25 reduction on a liter of petrol and diesel following a request by President Abdulla Yameen.

Adeeb at today’s press conference pledged to further decrease fuel prices and said the government is looking into ways to reduce prices on jet fuel for domestic transport

Minister of Youth Mohamed Maleeh Jamal said the “historic” reduction would address rising inflation.

The Economic Council also said a German research vessel has found hydrocarbon source rocks in the Maldives and said the government is working with a Japan’s Mitsui and Taisei, and China’s Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) to upgrade the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).

The Maldives intends to ask for a preferential trade mechanism with China following partnership in China’s maritime Silk Road.

Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad said the Economic Council will hold monthly meetings with state owned enterprises to address challenges, facilitate financing, and strengthen management.

Oil exploration

Fisheries Minister Dr Mohamed Shainee said a preliminary assessment of hydrocarbons by Germany’s Hamburg University had brought “happy signals.”

The research team will handover detailed assessment in the first quarter of 2015, he said.

Although the presence of hydrocarbon source rocks have been confirmed, further research and analysis is required to determine if there are hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Maldives and their exact locations, Shainee explained.

The inner atoll ocean basins and atoll slopes have been examined, and new 3D seismic data will provide a more complete picture of presence of hydrocarbons, he said.

The government is setting up renewable energy alternatives in Malé and Addu, but such sources can only cater to 30 percent of Maldivian energy requirements, Shainee said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan, Indian, Norwegian, and British companies have expressed interest in assisting Maldives in oil exploration.

Approximately 30 percent of Maldives GDP is spent on fuel imports.

Airport Development

Adeeb revealed today that the Maldives is working with Japan’s Mitsui and Taisei, and China’s BUCG on a master plan for airport development.

The government intends to secure a US$600 million loan from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and China Exim Bank for the venture.

Once loans are sanctioned, the work will be contracted out, he added. In the meantime, the government will rehabilitate the existing runway.

Economic Development Minister Mohamed Saeed noted an increase in Chinese imports to Maldives, especially in heavy machinery, and said the Economic Council is working on establishing a preferential trade mechanism.

A technical team from China is due to visit the Maldives to undertake a survey for the Malé – Hulhulé bridge in the near future, the council said.

The council also revealed that the Maldives has signed a maritime labor convention, and intends to establish an open ship registry in order to expand maritime businesses such as offshore shipping and to increase luxury cruise ship arrivals in the country.

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Monorail to be included in Hulhumalé phase two development

Hulhumalé Development Corporation (HDC) Chairman Hassan Ziath has revealed that the next phase of Hulhumalé’s development will include a monorail to Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.

In an interview with Haveeru, Ziath explained that the monorail would be designed to serve the growing number of tourists visiting guest houses in the capital’s suburb.

“Even now, 80 percent of tourists who visit Hulhumale are transit passengers. If we make it more convenient for them to travel to Hulhumale, it would increase injection of foreign currency into economy,” he told the paper.

Hulhumalé is currently home to 10 of the Maldives’ 199 registered guest houses, and is connected to the airport island of Hulhulé by a causeway allowing buses to take passengers between islands.

“It would be a big developmental step, especially if we are able to facilitate more activities targeting tourists,” said Ziath.

Reclamation for phase two of the island’s development would begin next month, he told Haveeru. The work – awarded to Belgian company Dredging International – will expand the size of the artificial island from the current 188 hectares to 410 hectares.

The financing of the US$60 million project will rely largely on loans from the Bank of Ceylon.

Ziath said that experts had advised a waterway be maintained between the two reclaimed areas, with four 50 metre bridges planned to connect the two. The most prominent of the government’s proposed ‘mega projects’ involves a bridge connecting the main island of Malé with Hulhumalé.

The HDC head explained that the island – already envisioned by President Yameen as a ‘Youth City’ with modern industry and facilities – will also include a tourist island and additional city hotels.

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Vice president says children must not be harmed in the name of Islam and culture

Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has stated that truly loving a child is to refrain from inflicting physical harm on the child in the name religion and culture, and from committing sexual harassment against children on the pretext of providing an Islamic upbringing.

Speaking at an event held in the National Art Gallery on Monday (October 15) to inaugurate the Minstry of Law and Gender’s new programmes, Jameel emphasised the importance of protecting the rights of children.

The new programmes focus on providing services for women, children, the elderly and people with special needs.

Jameel described the ministry’s programme as an effort to establish Maldives as the country in the region in which most fundamental rights are protected.

He went on to say that it is imperative that children are not discriminated based on their gender, and that they are not deprived of any educational opportunities or health benefits, local media reports.

Jameel opined that those who need social protection should not be perceived as a burden on the state, before using examples from Islamic history to demonstrate how society benefits from these people.

The gender ministry’s programme includes the release of two books regarding internet safety, the introduction of a domestic violence database, formulation of regulations for the establishment of day care centres, and home care services for the elderly.

Additionally, employment letters were also handed over to two persons with special needs. The two job placements are at Fenaka Corporation and Island Aviation Services.

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Three persons injured in Kulhudhuhfushi bike accident

A speeding motorcycle hit two pedestrians yesterday night (October 14) near the jetty in the island of Kulhudhuhfushi in Haa Dhaalu Atoll.

Both the pedestrians and the driver are currently receiving medical attention in the island’s hospital. While further details of injuries sustained have not been made public, police assured that none of the victims are in critical condition.

According to the police, the driver was 20-year-old male, while the pedestrians were women aged 52 and 57-years-old.

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Youth ministry moves Youth Day to November 17

Minister of Youth and Sports Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal has announced that Youth Day will now be marked on November 17 each year, instead of March 13.

Maleeh said the reasons for the change would be revealed during the Youth Awards ceremony next month, saying only that “November 17 is a very special day”.

November 17 coincides with the day incumbent President Abdulla Yameen took oath of office and assumed responsibilities of the head of state.

Since assuming office, Yameen has spoken often of the importance of youth development, pledging to turn the Malé suburb of Hulhumalé into ayouth city of 50,000 with modern sports facilities and light industries.

The Youth Awards Ceremony will take place on the newly assigned Youth Day during an event held at the Dharubaaruge convention centre.

“This time, we have included a special category that was previously not included. That is the field of voluntary work,” Maleeh told the press yesterday (October 14).

“We have seen such voluntary work being done in the recent Eid celebrations, in various government organised events and in the work of various clubs and organisations. Therefore, we have included this in this year’s awards’ marking criteria.”

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Home minister and pro-government MPs discuss legislative steps to curb gang activity

Home Minister Umar Naseer has begun meetings with pro-government MPs about necessary amendments to the laws in the initiative to inhibit gang-related criminal activity.

Naseer met with parliamentarians from ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in Muleeaage yesterday (October 14), as well as meeting with Jumhooree Party parliamentarians at their main campaign offices.

The proposed changes include amendments to the act on stopping gang-related crimes and to laws prohibiting the carrying of sharp weapons as well as a temporary act on stopping gang activity, Naseer told local media.

“The delay in tackling gang related crimes is a deep concern even of parliamentarians. We have now had the chance to confer with them and see what their thoughts on the matter are,” Naseer said.

“Reactions from parliamentarians of both Jumhooree Party and Progressive Party of Maldives were positive to my recommendations. At the moment, I cannot share further details of the suggested changes,” Umar Naseer told Minivan News today.

Earlier in the week, however, Naseer explained to local media some of the changes he proposed to bring to these acts.

Changes include the introduction of “soft curfews” on identified gang members, changes in the process of completing an investigation, in taking the matter to court, and in the completion of criminal cases in court.

“The problem is the period between these two regimes. After police concludes an investigation and the case is sent to court, it sometimes takes from 2 to 3 to even 10 years before the court presides over the case,” he is quoted as saying.

Naseer has previously spoken of concerns about the lack of cooperation between police and the Criminal Court.

On August 4, Naseer stated in parliament that a “special police operation” was ongoing to curb gang violence in the capital following a spate of violent assaults in recent days.

He went on to suggest that the problem was exacerbated by insufficient police resources, revisions being required for certain laws, and drug trafficking.

Special efforts from police resulted in the dismantling of ‘gang huts’ around the capital, before President Abdulla Yameen called a halt to the process, announcing that the government would instead seek more comprehensive solutions to the issue.

Following his unsuccessful campaign in the 2013 PPM presidential primary, Umar Naseer accused fellow candidate Yameen of having links to criminal gangs and the drug trade. Since being appointed home minister, however, Naseer has retracted these accusations.

The home minister announced in September that the police had identified about 30 gangs, with 50 gang leaders and 500 gang members operating in the country, especially on the streets of Malé.

He added that 13 of these 30 gangs can be considered as “highly dangerous”.

He said at the time that the government is planning an ‘attack’ to address the increase in gang related crimes – including assault, murder, and drug offences.

The issue of gang violence has become increasingly prominent in recent years, with stabbings and intimidation of journalists covering these crimes becoming commonplace.

A series of attacks on the offices and homes of journalists and MPs last month prompted concern from the EU at the level of gang activity in the country, while a private investigation into the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan suggested radicalised gangs may have been involved.

A 2012 study of the Maldives’ gang culture by the Asia Foundation revealed that “political and business elites” exploit gangs to carry out a range of illegal activities including the suppression of opponents and carrying out tasks to help maintain popularity or divert media attention from political issues.

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Former MDP MP sues state for MVR4.2 million for illegal jail term

Former opposition MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor is seeking MVR4.2 million (US$270,967) in compensation for an “illegal” Criminal Court issued jail sentence in October 2013.

Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed had sentenced the former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP in absentia for contempt of court when he refused to attend court on charges for refusal to provide urine.

The High Court overturned the six-month sentence in December 2013.

Hamid had contended he was not obliged to attend hearings as that the Criminal Court had repeatedly scheduled trial during People’s Majllis work hours, against privileges afforded to MPs in the Parliamentary Privileges and Powers Act.

“I am standing up for justice, and to a host of illegal administrative procedures and processes that have been used to harass me, deprive me of campaigning for my seat and physical harm for which I am now getting treatment,” Hamid told Minivan News today.

The refusal to provide urine charges are still standing, but Hamid has criticised the judiciary for allowing Judge Abdulla to continue overseeing the case even after he had unfairly sentenced Hamid to jail.

Hamid lost the MDP primaries for the Malé seat in January.

President Abdulla Yameen in 2011 successfully sought MVR244,00 (US$15,742) for his unlawful military detention on the presidential retreat in 2010. He was an MP at the time.

Contempt of court

The Prosecutor General charged Hamid with refusal to provide urine, alcohol possession and cannabis trafficking after his arrest in a November 2012 police raid on a private picnic island.

Former MP Abdulla Jabir and former President Mohamed Nasheed’s Special Envoy Ibrahim Hussein Zaki were also arrested at the time. All three have alleged the police severely brutalised them during the raid.

In the run up to November’s presidential elections, the Criminal Court expedited hearings into Hamid’s refusal to provide urine case. The charges carry a one-year jail term under Maldivian law.

Hamid accused Judge Abdulla Mohamed of a personal vendetta against him at the time.

Following the sentence, Hamid took refuge inside the Majlis premises for four weeks, and only left after newly elected President Abdulla Yameen assured him he would not be arrested and allowed to stay in his own residence.

However, shortly after Hamid left the Majlis, the Supreme Court struck down the article barring courts from holding trials against MPs during Majlis hours.

The next day, Hamid was taken to jail. Two days later, three High Court judges overturned the Criminal Court’s sentence stating an MP could not be summoned to court during Majlis hours as per the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act of the time.

Hamid’s failure to attend court was justified and as such the Criminal Court had no grounds to sentence him for contempt of court, the High Court said.

The Criminal Court has since cleared Jabir and Hamid of alcohol possession, and the PG has now withdrawn charges of cannabis possession.

Jabir was however sentenced to a year in jail in February for refusal to provide urine, but President Abdulla Yameen pardoned him in July.

Hamid is also being charged for a second time for alleged refusal to provide urine following a separate arrest in July 2012 after he had crossed a police barricade during a protest.

The PG had also charged him with disobedience to order in the same case, but has now withdrawn the charges.

Hamid has been summoned to Criminal Court tomorrow to answer both counts of refusal to provide urine.

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HRCM repeats calls for clean water at special needs centre

The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has asked the government to address problems in the water and sewerage system Guraidhoo’s Centre for People with Special Needs.

The directive calls upon the ministry to immediately introduce temporary facilities which will provide clean water for basic needs, and requests detailed plans for dealing with the facility’s water and sewerage problems by October 19.

The centre, in Kaafu atoll, is the only facility for Maldivians suffering from mental disabilities and currently falls under the remit of the Ministry of Law and Gender.

The commission states that the government has failed to take action despite repeated appeals from the HRCM over the past 5 years.

Today’s directive was released based on observations made by a team from the commission which visited the centre on September 16.

The HRCM revealed in a statement that tests conducted on the water used for sanitation purposes in the centre showed a high presence of e-coli bacteria, in contravention of World Health Organisation (WHO) approved standards.

Doctors who joined the observation team suggested that using the water could lead to diarrhoea, skin diseases, and urine infections among other ailments.

The statement further noted that medical records from the centre showed a large number of patients were already suffering from skin diseases.

The HRCM stated that it had been repeatedly calling on the government to solve the issues regarding the water supply of since 2009. A report released that year stated that approximately MVR9,000 (US$583) was spent each week on purchasing bottled water for drinking purposes alone.

While Tuesday’s statement calls on the government to provide clean drinking water, it does not specify whether the centre was continuing to supply mineral water to residents.

The commission also conducted tests on the water in 2011, after complaints it had a foul smell. Three of four samples taken from the centre proved to be below WHO approval standards.

Minister of State for Law and Gender Dr Hala Hameed was not responding to calls at the time of press, while an official of the Ministry of Law and Gender who requested to be unnamed declined from commenting on the matter.

The Ministry of Law and Gender has the mandate to oversee all government functions related to families, children, women, people with special needs, and human rights.

The Malé Water and Sewerage Company last year signed an agreement with Kandooma resort to provide a 30 tonne water plant to nearby Guraidhoo as part of a MVR1.5 million (US$97,600) investment.

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Defense Minister hands over 300 military housing units, pledges 300 more

Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim has handed over 300 housing units to soldiers and pledged to build 300 additional units in a bid to improve military welfare.

“These 300 flats are the beginning of improvements to military welfare. We have planned to begin a similar project next year,” Nazim said at a special ceremony at the military headquarters on Sunday (October 12) .

Noting that most of the 3000 strong Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) are from the atolls, Nazim said providing housing and establishing gym facilities in the northern, central, and southern commands are his top priorities.

The minister revealed new plans to commercialise military services, including services at the Uthuru Thilafalhu naval base and the services of the MNDF’s Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME) unit.

The Uthuru Thila Falhu naval base, currently under construction, includes a dockyard, slipway, warehouse, and bunkering facilities and is an “initiative to end military dependence for welfare on state budget”, Nazim said.

“Through SIWEC we will open up these facilities to the public, and this venture will become the means for funds for military welfare.”

SIWEC or Sifainge Welfare Company is a joint venture company established in 2012 by MNDF’s cooperative society SIFCO and the government to invest in and operate businesses.

SIWEC is currently developing the military training island at Thamburudhoo into a boutique surf hotel to generate funds for military welfare.

SIFCO meanwhile provides catering services, military shops with subsidised goods and runs the military hospital Senahiya.

The commercialisation of military hospital services to the public will allow SIFCO to provide loans to soldiers through its profits, Nazim said.

He went on to reveal plans to construct new accommodation blocks, a new mosque, and a sauna within the military headquarters at Bandaara Koshi as well as the renovation of the defense building.

The Coastguard Marine Corps Composite Training Center that would “revolutionise” military training will be completed in early January, Nazim also said.

Late last year, the defence minister announced a new strategic action plan for the force which involved the introduction of an MNDF TV station – Addana TV (Shield TV), and the upgrading of Senahiya hospital, as well as measures to secure independent sources of revenue.

In addition to handover of flats, the MNDF has this week unveiled its new digital camouflage uniform, The new digital pattern would provide tactical advantages in war and is designed from a temperature sensitive special fabric.

“I believe soldiers must improve their military proficiency as they start to wear this advanced uniform,” Nazim said.

The minister called on the military to remain steadfast to Islam, maintain military discipline and warned of “harsh action” against any soldiers who violated military codes.

He praised the MNDF’s involvement in peacetime activities such as in the construction of futsal fields in the Maldives atolls and in the construction of the Malé – Hulhumalé bridge replica.

There are four upcoming military exercises within the year with India, Sri Lankan and American soldiers, he noted, adding that the Defense Ministry is looking into purchasing tools to increase operational capabilities such as fast interceptor vessels, ROVs, drones, and rapid intervention vehicles.

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