Author: Mohamed Reehaan

President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Wednesday, 15th March, ratified the seventh amendment to the Public Finance Act (Law No. 3/2006). The Maldives Parliament passed the bill at its 10th sitting of the first session, held on 27th February 2023. The amendment seeks to strengthen procedures of; Acquiring loans Issuing guarantees Disbursing special assistance from public funds Tracking public finances Drawing up the state budget The amendment outlines the guidelines on the management of the Sovereign Development Fund (SDF) and public procurement mechanisms, resolves challenges to their implementation, revises the penalties for violating the law, and addresses challenges to…

The President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Wednesday evening, 15th March, inaugurated GDh. Faresmaathoda Airport. President Solih officially inaugurated the freshly developed airport at a ceremony held on Wednesday evening. The Minister of National Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure Mohamed Aslam, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Aishath Nahula, and the CEO and Managing Director of Regional Airports Company Limited (RACL) Mohamed Rizvee were in attendance. In addition to this, CEO of MTCC Adam Azim, GDh. Council’s President Ahmed Imthiyaz, and senior government officials attended the ceremony as well. The airport was developed by Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC).…

The governments of Maldives and Ghana signed two key agreements on Tuesday, 14th March, to further deepen the bilateral relationship between the countries. The countries signed to strengthen bilateral cooperation following the meeting between the Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey at the sidelines of the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting, held in London. The agreements signed between the Maldives and Ghana are; Agreement on mutual exemption of visa requirements for their respective nationals Memorandum of understanding between the countries on political consultation The agreements signed on…

Dhiraagu has signed a partnership agreement with the Soccer Veterans Association of Maldives as its digital partner for the year. Under the partnership, Dhiraagu will collaborate with the association to host the ‘Kids Football Fiesta’; touted as the biggest football event aimed at kids in the Maldives and will be held in various key stages. The company affirmed its stance of supporting the development of the next generation of footballers in the Maldives. The Assistant Manager, Brand at Dhiraagu Naiya Shareef said that they were happy to support competitions aimed at children, and added that she hoped the partnership would…

Several tourism service providers, properties, and operators have paid relevant tax in advance during January to reduce the tax payable at the hiked Tourism Goods and Services Tax (TGST) rates. Tax revenue fell 21% from the projections in February, according to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA). The primary reason for this drop is the advance payment of TGST in January, which was expected in February. Maldives government received MVR1.72 billion in taxes in February, which is about 50% lower than the tax income received in January. Tax revenue received in January was 70% higher than projections. Tax revenue stood…

The National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM) has promoted liveaboards and the dive industry of the Maldives at the Dive MENA Expo 2023. NBAM promoted the Maldives tourism segments at the event through a sponsorship of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). The event took place at Dubai Harbour from 01st to 05th March. MMPRC sponsored NBAM’s participation as part of its efforts to support the promotion of local liveaboards and the dive industry in the Maldives. It also said that sponsoring NBAM helped it to create brand awareness for the destination to increase its reach into key…

Ensis Group has begun handing over the high-end flats developed in Hulhumale’ to buyers. Housing Development Corporation (HDC), the agency in charge of all the urban developments in Hulhumale’, said that the first batch of flats has been handed over to the families that will be moving in soon. HDC further claimed that all the flats under the project have not been handed over, and Ensis started with the B-Block flats first. Apartment Details 3+1 bedroom apartments: 45 2+1 bedroom apartments: 26 Single-bedroom apartments: 13 Penthouses: 10 Ensis Group developed a 94-apartment complex under the ‘Aira-Exceptional Living’ high-end housing project.…

The Bank of Maldives (BML) has cautioned customers once again in light of a resurgence in scam calls recently. BML said that recently several individuals have been getting dubious calls claiming they have won flats or apartments. The bank cautioned against such calls, and urged its customers and the public against divulging personal information and banking details. Public Relations Manager, BML, Mohamed Saeed said that current reports state that many have already received calls on the pretext of awarding flats. The caller usually pretends to represent notable agencies or corporations. Saeed also said that cases of unreceived goods from online…

Male’ City Council began installing smart streetlights on the streets of Male’ City on Monday. China’s Yunnan Province donated the streetlights, said the council. The project was inaugurated by the city’s mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and Head of Delegation on behalf of Yunnan Province Ma Zuoxin at a ceremony held on Monday evening. Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives Wang Lixin was in attendance of the ceremony. According to the council, 10 smart streetlight poles have been installed from the Artificial Beach area to Lonuziyaarai Park. The council further said that it will prioritize installing the lights on the city’s main…

The Civil Court of Maldives on Monday ordered an interim injunction on executing Male’ City Council’s decision to terminate the contract with Ninety-9 Holdings, the previous buggy operator in Vilimale’. The private company filed a lawsuit with Civil Court after the council terminated the contract in August 2022. Ninety-9 Holdings sought a stay order since it had made several investments in the land that was leased to them. Besides terminating the contract, the council had also demanded Ninety-9 hand over the land as well. Civil Court in its verdict said that it was difficult to calculate the damages both City…