Tag: maldives

Maldives to provide sovereign guarantees to private sector infrastructure projects

The Maldives will issue soverign guarantees to infrastructure development projects funded by private sector, after a Cabinet meeting yesterday finalising the mechanisms to be used.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury proposed a limit of Rf 125 million (US$9.7 million) annually to support the private sector to raise funds as part of the government’s policy to increase private sector participation in national development. This would not be issued to individuals.

Cabinet decided yesterday that when a project involves expenditure not included in the budget or approved by the People’s Majlis, the President would send the project for Majlis’ consent on issuing a sovereign guarantee.

Cabinet also decided yesterday to establish a National Food and Nutrition Council, that would oversee food and nutrition policy, and approved the Maldives’ participation in the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Cabinet has

The Cabinet finalized mechanisms to issue sovereign guarantees yesterday, in accordance with the Public Finance Act, to infrastructure development projects funded by the private sector.

The paper presented at yesterday’s cabinet meeting, by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, on the matter proposed to issue Guarantees to a limit of Rf125 million annually, to help the private sector to raise funds as part of the government’s policy to increase private sector participation in national development.

However, this Guarantee will not be issued to individuals operating in the private sector.

The Cabinet agreed that, if a project involves an item included in the budget or an expense approved by the Parliament, the President would decide on issuing a Guarantee after the Minister of Finance and Treasury presents the project with recommendations.

However, the Cabinet decided that, when a project involves expenditure not included in the budget or approved by the parliament, the President would send the project for Parliamentary approval over issuance of a sovereign guarantee.

At yesterday’s meeting, the Cabinet also decided to establish a National Food and Nutrition Council.

The proposed National Food and Nutrition Council will oversee food and nutrition policy making and implementation of programmes, to ensure inclusion of all stakeholders in these processes to realize national targets for food security and nutrition.

The council, to be headed by Vice President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, will include policy makers from the relevant authorities.

In addition, the Cabinet approved the Maldives’ participation in the International Organization for Migration (IOM), today.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to complete necessary arrangements for the Maldives’ participation in the organization.

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Staff strike at Conrad Rangali Island Resort

Management at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort have confirmed that a “number” of it staff have resorted to strike action at the site over alleged disputes with management.

Minivan News understands that Maldives tourism authorities have sent a team to the site to try and resolve the dispute.

In a statement the resort, which is part of the multi-national hospitality group Hilton Worldwide, said that it was working to try and resolve the strikes as quickly as possible, while prioritising the safety and security of employees and guests.

Head of the Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM), Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ahmed Easa, alleged that some staff at the resort had resorted to the action over concerns about possible discrimination between the earnings of local and expatriate staff.

The resort statement did not confirm any key grievances of staff involved in the strike action.  The company did claim though that all its employees, or “team members” as they are known, received equal service charge payments, along with being offered the fourth highest service charge allocations of resorts operating in the country and various staff amenities including a gym and recreation areas.

Easa said that he believed that the Conrad resort was widely considered a “beautiful” property with a very good management that took care of its staff.  However, he claimed that some staff at the resort were contending that there was an issue of discrimination relating to staff earnings based on nationality. He conceded he did not yet have full details of the strike action.

“From what I understand, the issue has been created by the resort’s general manager not communicating with staff over concerns about discrimination between European and Maldivian staff,” he said.

TEAM said it was therefore calling on the workers involved with the strikes to sit down and find an amicable resolution to potential concerns held by both parties and try to establish any truth in these grievances.

Easa said there had been claims from staff that Maldivian workers had been receiving different salary rates and accommodation standards when compared to their European counterparts.  He added that there were also criticisms that local workers’  services charge payments were being split unevenly on similar grounds.

The TEAM president said that he would therefore look to clarify the current allegations concerning employers striking at the resort and what action could possibly be taken in regards to resolving the dispute.

“We hope that the company will meet with both sides and not just listen to senior management before deciding if the allegations are true or false,” he said.  “However, if employees are wrong in their accusations, we will say they are wrong. Both the employer and the employee have rights under the Maldives constitution.”

In its statement, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island rejected claims that service charges were kept by the property itself or undistributed unevenly, adding that management were proud with the level of staff satisfaction in its annual team member survey.

“The resort has a sector-leading reputation for our team member training programmes. We offer opportunities for promotion and career advancement and wherever possible recruit from within,” the company stated.  “We also have a highly developed employee representation structure to ensure all employees can express their points of view to the management team.”

The statement claimed additionally that management at the site constantly sought to review rates of pay in order to make adjustments based on “current market conditions” for its staff, which are made up of 70 percent Maldivian workers and 30 percent of expatriates from 25 different countries.

“In addition to the service charge allocation, team members receive a range of additional benefits including access to a team member soccer pitch, some of the best team member accommodation in the Maldives, a recreation area, gym, internet café and regular team sporting and social activities,” the statement said.

Back in November, a bill was passed to the Majlis’ National Security Committee concerning possible amendments to regulations for industrial action at the country’s resort properties

The bill was initially passed to pariliament in August by the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) in attempts to try and curb strikes such as those seen last year at Kurumba resort that reduced occupancy rates to zero for a period.

Parliamentary debate over the bill has seen both fierce opposition and support from figures across the tourism industry, who have argued that current unregulated strike action is detrimental to travel income.

Secretary General of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) Sim Mohamed Ibrahim, said at the time of the debates that that the organisation was not looking to prevent strikes.

However, Ibrahim added that the association was looking to prevent strikes from taking place directly on private resort property.

“No striking on the resort is a fundamental right of the owner,” he said. “You don’t strike on the shop floor.”

An resort employee told newspaper Haveeru that staff were protesting in the staff recreation area “in such a way that it would not cause any disturbance to the tourists.”

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MDP dismisses rumours of DRP MP Mahlouf defecting to MDP

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Mariya Ahmed Didi has denied that leader of the opposition’s Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Youth Wing, MP Ahmed Mahlouf, has signed to join MDP, after rumours to that effect began circulating yesterday.

Mahlouf yesterday broke the three line whip of his party and voted with MDP, sparking rumors that Mahlouf had signed with the ruling party. Former DRP MP Alhan Fahmy controversially switched to the MDP last year prior to facing his party’s disciplinary committee over voting against the party line on the dismissal of then Foreign Minister, Dr Ahmed Shaheed.

The Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) yesterday reported that Mahlouf had signed to MDP, after the incident.

MDP’s official website quoted Mariya as saying that the rumor was spread by DRP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali’s faction after Mahlouf broke the party’s three line whip in a vote taken by the parliamentarians to appoint members for the Broadcasting Commission.

”Mahlouf has always had a close relationship with some of the senior members of the MDP. But the news that he had signed to join MDP is just a rumor,” Mariya said according to MDP website.

Mariya said that Mahlouf broke the three-line whip during the vote to appoint his aunt for the Broadcasting Commission, whose name was proposed to the parliament and supported by MDP.

Mahlouf has told Haveeru that he will join MDP only if former President Maummon Abdul Gayoom joined MDP.

After yesterday’s parliament session speaking to the press outside the parliament DRP Deputy Leader MP Ali Waheed has called on DRP Council to terminate the coalition agreement with Peoples Alliance Party (PA).

Waheed claimed that during all the recent votes PA had discussed with the government and voted according to how it will benefit both the government and the PA, ignoring DRP’s side.

He also heavily criticized Mahlouf for voting on MDP’s side.

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Cab driver accused of attempted rape

A taxi driver has been reported to police for allegedly trying to sexually assault a girl inside the cab.

Police Lance Corporal Abdul Majeed Moosa told Minivan News that the incident occurred in Male’ inside a taxi yesterday.

”No person was so far arrested in connection with the case,” he said. ”We are now investigating the case.”

Local media has reported that the girl was 20 years-old and had called the taxi dispatch to send a taxi to take her home during her break at noon yesterday.

Instead the cab driver allegedly took her to a pickup parking lot near the Customs Office in Maafannu and attempted to take advantage of her, according to local medias, tearing her dress in an attempt to remove her clothes.

Media reported that the girl cried out and tried to knock on the car windows during the attempted rape, but the car had darkly tinted windows.

Then the driver took to Chandanee Magu, where she escaped and ran home.

The driver had tried to hold her inside the taxi by covering her mouth using his hands, however the girl attacked him with a pin, local media reported.

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Failing to obey superior court’s decision violates constitution and Judges Act, Supreme Court warns Naeem

The Supreme Court has said that refusing to follow a decision made by a superior court violates the constitution and violates the Judges Act.

The Supreme Court’s statement comes after Civil Court Judge Mohamed Naeem said he would not accept cases concerning the state because the parliament had not then decided whether to give consent to reappointed Attorney General Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad.

Sawad has now been dismissed by the parliament for the second time, following his second reappointment by President Mohamed Nasheed.

The Supreme Court’s statement said that judges should at all times avoid any matters that could harm the reputation of the judiciary or cause people to lose confidence in the justice system.

The court also noted that it was against the code of conduct of the judges to disobey a decision made by a superior court.

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has formed a sub-committee to investigate judge Naeem after he told the press that he had decided not to accept cases concerning the state, despite the High Court’s decision to accept cases.

Judge Naeem revealed that the Civil Court judges were split on the issue, however the majority of the judges said they wanted to accept and conduct trials of cases concerning the state despite the fact that Dr Sawad’s appointment procedure was then not completed.

President’s Member of the JSC, Aishath Velezinee, has stated on her Article 285 blog that “Judge Naeem has been under investigation since the interim Commission, [for] nearly two years. No updates on the investigation [have been] tabled despite the legal requirement that a report must be submitted in writing every 30 days.”

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None of the 47 arrested were connected to murder case, says Criminal Court

The Criminal Court’s Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed has said that none of 47 persons arrested by police and brought to the court for extension of detention following the gang murder of 21 year-old Ahusan Basheer were connected with the case.

”Nobody arrested was brought in connection to the murder case,” said the Chief Judge, after the string of arrests.

Police began a special operation in Male’ after the murder case, and reported that more than 50 persons were arrested.

”Police said those persons who were brought before the judges were persons were planning assaults,” Abdulla said. ”Some of them were released but most of them are still kept in detention.”

Police will need some time to investigate and collect evidence, he added.

Local media quoted the Chief Judge as saying ”while persons were arrested to that amount there were nobody presented with adequate evidence, in fact there were persons who cannot even be arrested [according to laws].”

Police Spokesperson Lance-Corporal Abdul Majeed Moosa told Minivan News that those arrested during the special operation was to curb the rise in gang related crimes in Male’.

”They were arrested on different charges, but now there are only a few kept in detention,” Majeed said. ”Police are currently investigating the murder case and it’s very difficult to say anything at this time.”

Ahusan Basheer was murdered on Thursday last week on one of the main roads of Male’.

After the murder, police claimed that Ibrahim Shahum was a suspect in the case and called on the public to report sightings of Shahum, who has disappeared after the murder incident.

Shahum was charged with murder but was recently released from detention after serving six months.

He was then arrested in connection with the death f a 17 year old boy who bled to death after he was stabbed while on his way to home after watching a football match.

Before the attack on Basheer, another gang attacked occurred in Henveiru, with a ganging stabbed three persons in front of crowds before fleeing, reportedly on a police officer’s private motorbike.

The incident took place on broad day light in front of many children, men and women.

Witnesses of the incident said that when the first group of police officers attended the scene, the two gangs were attacking each other, but said that the police officers waited util the gang finished their fight.

Only this week Maldivian Democratic Party MP Ibrahim Rasheed presented and withdrew an amendment to the Clemency Act to execute murderers if ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Presenting the amendment, he said it was the only way to curb the rise in gang violence and referred to the recent incidents. He said people had been “chopped and sliced like fish” in the streets of Male’ during broad day light, but withdrew his amendment moments before the vote stating that we would re-submit it after the evidence bill, criminal procedure bill and bill on penal code were all enacted.

Recently a person found guilty of murder and issued a death penalty according to the penal code of the Maldives has now appealed the ruling at the High Court.

The last time the Maldives executed a person was in 1953 when a person named Hakim Didi was executed by firing squad after he was found guilty of attempting to murder by performing black Magic.

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MDP requests parliament dismiss Dr Afrasheem from JSC

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary Group has sent a letter to the parliament requesting the removal of DRP MP Dr Afrasheem Ali from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

The letter was signed by the leader of MDP Parliamentary Group MP Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik.

In the letter, Moosa alleged that Dr Afrasheem had violated Judicial Service Commission’s Act, Act number 10/2008 Section 20[a] and [b] which states that a meeting of the JSC could be held only if more than half of the total number of members were present and 20[b] which requires majority vote of present JSC members to make any decision.

Moosa referred to the incident where Dr Afrasheem allegedly phoned JSC member Fahmy Hassan also head of Civil Service Commission (CSC) to ask whether he was fine with Dr Afrasheem speaking in the Supreme Court on behalf of the JSC in the trial conducted after Criminal Court Judge filed a case against the JSC’s appointment of Judges to the High Court.

”Records of the JSC shows that Dr Afrasheem Ali has made that decision against the policy that the law state,” Moosa said in the letter. ”Although Article 164 of the constitution very clearly states that persons appointed to the JSC who is not a member of the parliament shall receive allowances and salary as decided by the parliament, records of the JSC shows that Dr Afrasheem Ali has been paid such allowances.”

Dr Afrasheem had played a role in the unlawful and unconstitutional activities the JSC had conducted, and he has been insincere in carrying out the responsibilities of the JSC, Moosa claimed.

”Therefore, [we] find Dr Afrasheem is not an appropriate person to represent the parliament in the JSC, [we] hereby present this complaint according to article 165 of the constitution and request his dismissal,” Moosa said in the letter.

Minivan News understands that parliament is currently conducting a closed door investigation of the JSC, however no information on the progress or outcome has been provided.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) recently published a report on the JSC critical of the commission’s independence, among other observations. The JSC has not tabled the report.

Dr Afrasheem was not responding to calls at time of press. JSC interim Secretary General, Abdul Faththah, also the JSC’s legal representative, referred Minivan News to the JSC’s media spokesperson, Hassan Zaheen. Zaheen said the JSC had no comment on the matter, but noted that “the parliament decides which MP represents it on the commission.”

Faththah has previously told Minivan News that while there “should be quorum”, in time-sensitive matters such as court summons members sometimes had to make decisions outside formal meetings, with the approval of other members.

“This is not a matter so important to take a decision with the discussion of the members,” he said at the time.

JSC members had also previously decided who should attend court hearings, during a meeting of full attendance, he added, “[but] that day the Chair was not in Male’, so members decided instead that the Deputy [Afrasheem] should attend [court],” acknowledging that “they may not have had quorum that time.”

“These kind of things happen with things like court attendance issues, but no other decisions,” he said.

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MDP proposes parliament dismiss Dr Afrasheem and MMA Governor

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has proposed dismissing main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Dr Afrasheem Ali from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and Fazeel Najeeb from his post as the Governor of Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), reports SunFM.

MDP Parliamentary Group Leader “Reeko” Moosa Manik claimed that the pair had failed to carry out their held responsibilities.

The station quoted Moosa as saying that judges have been obstructed from conducting their work because of Dr Afrasheem, a day after the opposition-majority parliament declined the approval of Attorney General Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad.

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Adhaalath urges Maldivians to provide assistance for Japan

The Adhaalath Party has called on all the Maldivians to provide assistance to Japan quake victims.

The Party said on its website that it was fully participating in the mourning for the Japanese dead, now thought to be over 18,000.

Many different community programs to raise funds for the quake victims in Japan were held in Male’ last weekend.

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