Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz has told parliament that addressing the foreign currency crisis will require structural changes to the economy.
Increasing revenue and reducing expenditure to address the deficit – a legacy of years of printing money and high state expenditure relative to income – was the main solution, he said, as was strengthening regulations and enforcing the use of rufiya as a legal tender, “with no exception.”
The country’s lucrative tourism industry currently charges visitors in US dollars rather than the local rufiya currency, while the central bank’s regulation enforcing the use of legal tender has historically been routinely ignored and rarely enforced.
The rufiya was identified this week by financial news agency Bloomberg as the world’s second worst performing currency after the Suriname dollar,
“The Maldives was caught by the news,” Inaz noted to Minivan News. “It’s unlikely they would have any data on the rufiya before [the devaluation] on April 10.”
The state received US$16 in January, US$19 million in February, US$29 million in March, US$15 million in April and US$23 million in May – a total of US$115 million for the year so far, Inaz told parliament.
The government has indicated to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it intends to pass a raft of new taxation and economic reforms through parliament to modernise the economy, and a package of bills has been submitted by the government.
Schwack Maldives plans to roll out promotional television screens detailing ferry times, current doctor duties at local hospitals, dollar exchange rates and news across the Maldives after launching the technology exclusively in Male’ this week.
According to the company, the Schwack Connections initiative was launched with 13 screens at seven restaurants and cafes around Male’, with further launches planned both within the capital and at a number of destinations like Addu Atoll.
Schwack Maldives’ Director Althaf Mohamed claimed that amidst present financial uncertainty in the Maldives, the service was an entirely new way for business to advertise services and products in the country.
The screened information is designed to combine advertising and news with health information, trivia and even celebrity tweets and other social network updates, according to the company.
Video footage purportedly showing Sri Lankan troops executing bound and naked Tamil dissidents in the closing days of the country’s civil war has been described as authentic by the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Christof Heyns.
The video was obtained in 2009 by the UK’s Channel 4 news network and aired in August that year. Heyns’ predecessor Philip Alston declared in January 2010 that “extracts” were genuine.
Heyns obtained and analysed a longer version of the video in consultation with a forensic pathologist, firearms expert and two forensic video analysts, and this week concluded that the footage was authentic.
The Sri Lankan government has maintained that the video is fake.
“What is reflected in the extended video are crimes of the highest order — definitive war crimes,” Heyns told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“I conclude on the basis of the extensive technical evidence we obtained from independent experts that what is depicted in the video indeed happened. I believe that a prima facie case of serious international crimes has been made.”
The Sri Lankan government has been under international pressure to submit to a war crimes investigation after a UN report published in April found “credible allegations, which if proven, indicate that a wide range of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law were committed both by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, some of which would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Head of the Sri Lankan delegation to the UN Human Rights Council, Minister of Plantation Industries, Mahinda Samarasinghe, argued that the UN was usurping Sri Lanka’s own Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).
“It is disconcerting to note the haste with which some have sought to usurp the government of Sri Lanka’s prerogative in deciding its domestic process,” Samarasinghe told the Council.
“We firmly believe that our home-grown process is capable of addressing the nuances of our unique situation.”
An international war crimes investigation can only be conducted on the invitation of the host government, or by the mandate of a UN body such as the UN Human Rights Council – on which the Maldives, Sri Lanka’s neighbour, ally and historical trading partner, sits.
During a recent press conference in Colombo, Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem described the UN’s report into the country’s civil war as “singularly counterproductive.”
“The focus should now be on how the country can move forward,” Naseem said. “As a responsible member of the Human Rights Council, the Maldives believes it is imperative that the international community closely examine all aspects of the report before taking any further action.”
Upon the release of the report, President Mohamed Nasheed’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News in April that the release of the UN’s document was belated.
“Why say it now? Why not when the war was going on? My point is that this report only appeared after the war was over. We support the Sri Lankan government’s desire for peace and harmony, and any government that brought about that peace should be held in high honour.”
Meanwhile, the Maldives Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Iruthisham Adam, on Monday addressed the Human Rights Council by “welcoming recent global events which have promoted accountability and justice.”
It was, she said, “a momentous time for human rights around the world – a time for accountability for past crimes, and a time of hope for new beginnings.”
“The flight of former President Ben Ali from Tunisia, the arrest and prosecution of former President Mubarak and his associates in Egypt, the arrest of former President Gbagbo in Cote d’Ivoire, the death of Osama Bin Laden, and the recent capture of Rtako Mladic in Serbia all send out a powerful message to those who believe they can violate human rights with impunity,” Ambassador Adam said.
She expressed concern that, in some countries, “governments have chosen to use fear, intimidation, and state-sponsored violence to subdue protests – a response which not only violates international human rights law but one which is also doomed to failure.
“The more those governments try to tighten their control, the less control they will in fact have. The Maldives today renews its call for these governments to immediately stop using force, to listen to their people, and to begin genuine programmes of democratic and human rights reforms.
“In our globalised, inter-dependent world, those who would trample human rights, deny basic freedoms, and kill in the name of power or greed will ultimately be held accountable.
“No matter how high their walls, those who violate human rights will be brought to justice. These welcome developments across different continents are not only important as signals that impunity is, in the end, illusory; they are also important in that, by dealing with the past, by securing accountability and redress, the countries concerned are laying the foundations for a better future.”
Warning: some readers may find the following footage disturbing
Israel’s national carrier El Al has formally applied to the Ministry of Civil Aviation to begin flying to the Maldives from December.
President Mohamed Nasheed’s Press Secretary, Mohamed Zuhair, said he believed the government was inclined to grant permission to the airline.
“Despite the reservations of the Adhaalath Party and other religious groups [in the Maldives], El Al flies to many Arab capitals and is even accessible to those people claiming to work against Israel, who seem to have no objections to it,” Zuhair observed.
He did acknowledge that permitting the airline to fly the Maldives represented “a political obstacle”, but suggested it was “one for the Adhaalath party to explain.”
“Maldivians have not been directly affected by any actions taken by Israel, and the Maldives is in fact involved in peace initiatives undertaken in the Middle East by the Maldivian government,” Zuhair said. “I don’t see the justification for not accepting an Israeli airline that is accepted by Arab states claiming to be victims of Israel.”
The religiously-conservative Adhaalath Party has declared it will terminate its coalition agreement with the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) if it allows an Israeli airline to fly to the Maldives.
In an earlier statement on the matter in April, the party claimed there “were reasons” why out of the 50 Islamic countries, 48 had declined permission for El Al to operate.
“It is because Israel is the biggest enemy of the whole Muslim community, a country that has stolen the holy lands of Muslims, a country that is committing violence against the people of Palestine and as Israeli flights are targets of terrorist organisations, it raises security concerns,” the party said.
An earlier request by the airline’s charter subsidiary Sun D’Or was denied after Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) revoked its license ruling that it was functionally indistinguishable from El Al.
The rebranding effort was an attempt by El Al to circumvent religious backlash from ultra-orthodox Israeli groups over operating flights on the Sabbath and religious holidays, which it claimed were leaving it unable to compete with other major carriers.
Strong anti-Israel sentiment persists in the Maldives. Visiting Israeli eye surgeons from the ‘Eyes from Zion’ NGO were in November met with protests and the burning of the Israeli flag in Male’s Republic Square. The Islamic Foundation NGO contested at the time that Israeli surgeons “have become notorious for illegally harvesting organs from non-Jews around the world.”
The Maldives has suspended diplomatic ties with the Libyan government as Western powers increase military pressure on President Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.
“Following the recognition of the TNC, the suspension of diplomatic relations with the pro-Gaddafi regime is based on the continuing deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in Libya, and increasingly clear evidence that the Gaddafi regime is guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes,” the Maldives Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The statement came after the US accused Gaddafi of using human shields and cluster bombs against his own population in the city of Misata, in some of the fiercest fighting of the civil war so far.
At least 10 civilians were killed on Wednesday, along with British photojournalist Tim Hetherington and American photographer Chris Hondros.
A bombing attack on Gaddafi’s compound in Tripoli yesterday meanwhile caused three causalities, after NATO jets targeted a bunker underneath a car park.
France, Italy and Britain this week authorised the deployment of military advisors to assist the ill-disciplined rebels in overthrowing Gaddafi’s government, despite earlier reluntance to put ‘boots on the ground’ in the stricken country.
US President Barack Obama has meanwhile authorised the use of drone aircraft in Libya. A NATO official this week told the UK’s Guardian newspaper that the drones would allow the identification of individuals even in crowded urban environments, allowing for more precise airstrikes.
After France and Qatar, the Maldives was the third country to recognise the Transitional National Council, the Benghazi rebels’ representative body.
Maldivian poet Aminath Faiza died on Friday morning during treatment for a severe stroke.
The 86 year-old was described by the President’s Office as a local “literary icon”, one of the leading poets who graduated from ‘Dhivehi Lheverikamuge Bageechaa’ founded by the country’s first president Mohamed Amin.
“Aminath Faiza was also an active member of the first ever political party to be founded in the Maldives,” the President’s Office said, expressing President Mohamed Nasheed’s condolences.
Faiza served as a teacher and the Deputy Principal of Madhrasathul Saniyya, and worked for the Maldives Center for Historical and Linguistic Research for over 27 years. She was awarded the National Award of Recognition in 1980 and National Award of Honour in 1996 in recognition of her contribution to Maldivian poetry.
Faiza is survived by her three children, Ahmed Abbas, Aminath Abbas and Mohamed Hilmy.
The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) has ruled that the Maldives Police Service was not culpable for the death of 20 year old Abdulla Basith Zubair whilst in their custody, although it has called for revised safety procedures when holding suspects.
Head of the PIC Shahindha Ismail told Minivan News that a five member independent panel ruled after reviewing evidence, which included medical reports, that police were not accountable for Zubair’s death after he was taken into custody last month for alleged drug offences. The five members of the PIC panel that rule on cases are initially nominated by the president before being put before the Majlis for approval and do not contain any serving police members, according to Ismail.
Zubair was reportedly found dead on the morning of January 14 after he was taken into custody where police said he had tested positive for the presence of illegal drugs in his system.
His death was confirmed after he later was taken to hospital after being discovered by officers who the police service had claimed thought he had been asleep.
Ismail confirmed that although the police were not being held accountable or found to have treated Zubair inappropriately, the case had served to highlight a lack of familiarity and training among officers in dealing with potential addicts or drug offenders when they were held in custody.
“One thing we have noted with some other cases as well, is that special processes are required regarding the handling of drug users in custody,” she said. “We think these suspects need to be hospitalised and not left alone in a cell. Also, at present some officers may not be familiar how to handle such cases.”
According to Ismail and the PIC, the problem represents a wider issue regarding police procedure for holding suspects in custody, as well as ensuring the protection of its officers as outlined under article 19 of the Police Act.
In an attempt to try and ensure officers are better trained and prepared for the challenges posed by holding suspects, the PIC has announced it will be hosting a two day workshop to try and outline minimum standards for holding suspects at police stations and custodial centres from 27 – 28 February.
Along with measures for handling possible drug addicts and users, Ismail claimed the workshop would attempt to outline procedures for a wide array of custodial issues including the administrative requirements of officers on duty.
Preliminary findings from the ‘Did you Know’ door-knocking campaign have revealed that half the 500 homes in Hulhumale visited by the volunteers were unaware that the Maldives had a new constitution, let alone what it contained.
The UNDP-run campaign, which launched on November 26, is an attempt to address a lack of public awareness into how the judicial system works – a critical problem for the development and promotion of human rights in the Maldives, according to the UN body.
One component is the ‘Did you Know?’ campaign, involving a team of 27 volunteers door-knocking around Male’, Hulhumale’ and Villingili explaining rights and distributing brochures.
“I found it was women who were the most disinterested, and I think more so among the older generation,” UNDP National Project Manager Naaz Aminath told Minivan News, after knocking on the doors of 500 houses in Hulhumale.
“But they would sit there and listen, particularly to subjects such as employment rights, and the right to a pension. One mother said she’d never heard of the constitution, but we asked her if she worked and talked about her employment rights, which she said was really useful.”
Only about 20 of the 500 homes approached in Hulhumale’ were unwilling to invite the volunteers in, Naaz noted.
“In those instances we left a pamphlet. But mainly people were very welcoming, even though they were busy doing things like cooking and minding children. We were often invited in for a drink.”
Many men showed awareness of their rights, but felt that getting involved in understanding the constitution meant getting into politics “and said they did not want to get involved. But they generally did listen,” Naaz said.
Glimpses into the private lives of so many homes was confronting for some of the volunteers – “We came across other issues – in one house a victim of domestic violence broke down in tears when we walked in. We can’t fix everything [with this project], but we can provide directions on how to contact authorities.”
The consensus after the Hulhumale’ campaign was that while households had an awareness of the new constitution gleamed through television, “there’s a difference between being aware of it and knowing what’s in it.”
The airport segment of Indian infrastructure giant GMR has grown become a significant contributor to the company’s revenue, reports financial news website India Infoline, with both the Delhi and Hyderabad airports witnessing stable growth in passenger and cargo volumes.
The company’s airport segment accounts for 40 percent of the firm’s total revenue. With the Male’ airport operations already profitable and with high passenger revenue of $US50 per passenger (compared with US$12 and US$17 per passenger at Delhi and Hyderabad airports), the existing revenue is expected to account for a third of the company’s airport operations.
Male’ International Airport generated US$135 million in revenue last year, Infoline reported, with an operating profit of US$30 million. Being an exotic tourist destination, “air traffic in Male is expected to be steady”, the site added.
GMR has taken debt of US$358 million to complete US$511 million deal to construct a new terminal, and will charge an extra US$25 per passenger, the site reported.
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