Author: Mohamed Reehaan

According to Ministry of Finance, state’s cumulative earnings so far in 2022 reached MVR25.5 billion, as of 15 December 2022. On the other hand, state expenditure in annual terms reached MVR36.2 billion by the review date. The overall balance for the period is a deficit of MVR10.7 billion. By the review date, the cumulative total of tax revenues reached MVR18.2 billion. By the corresponding period in 2021, the amount had reached MVR13.5 billion, indicating healthier state earnings this year. Moreover, the cumulative total of non-tax revenues by the review date reached MVR7.1 billion, whereas for the same period last year…

Maldives Vice President Faisal Naseem on Tuesday, 21 December, stressed on the need to adopt new technologies to reduce fossil fuel dependency. He made the remarks while speaking at the ceremony held to mark the 73rd anniversary of initiating electricity as a utility service in the Maldives. According to Maldives Vice President, electricity has become essential for daily livelihood, and noted the instabilities facing international markets due to Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, which resulted in price bumps on fuel, increasing consumer woes. At the ceremony, he praised State Electric Company (STELCO) for investing in renewable energy sources and…

Maldives welcomed the country’s 1.6 millionth tourist on Tuesday, 20 December 2022. Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) and Maldives government celebrated the state’s visitor target achievement. Earlier, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared the tourist arrivals target, set at 1.6 million before 2022 ended. On Tuesday, Tejas Sanjay Kothari, arriving from India for his honeymoon, became the 1.6 millionth guest arriving in Maldives in 2022. Tejas, along with his newlywed wife flew in from Air Vistara Flight no. UK271. Upon arrival, Tejas was conferred with special gifts on behalf of MMPRC, Ministry of Tourism and other stakeholders. He…

State Electric Company (STELCO) has announced it plans to launch scholarship opportunities for two higher secondary graduates. STELCO Managing Director Ahmed Shareef, made the announcement while speaking at the commemoration ceremony marking the corporation’s 73rd anniversary. At the ceremony, Shareef noted the importance of capacity and personnel development. He also stressed on the need to train future energy industry professionals. Moreover, the STELCO front man confirmed the corporation spent MVR7 million each year of staff training and development. Primary objective of these training and capacity development involve creating more industry professionals. While the utility provider is celebrating 73 years of…

Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) confirms a total of 2,610 private jets landed in Velana International Airport (VIA) so far in 2022. As per MACL, this is a 53% increment when compared with the same period in 2019. Moreover, air traffic movement by November 2022 saw a 10% increment when compared with the corresponding period in 2019. Total air traffic movement was recorded at 24,000 in 2019 and 27,000 in 2022. Meanwhile, several major airlines commenced direct flight operations to Maldives, which contributed towards increment in air traffic movement. MACL also reported eight additional airlines began their operations ahead of…

Vakkaru Maldives celebrates a significant milestone in December, as it marks five years of facilitating “unforgettable private island experience” to travelers. The exclusive private island resort has provided exclusive holiday getaway experiences for more than 32,000 guests so far. The resort debuted on 17th December 2017, and maintained its position as one of the top resorts in the region. “Celebrating our 5th anniversary is a proud moment for all of us at Vakkaru Maldives. Over the past half-decade, the team has been striving to deliver our guests the best service and experience. I hope we have created exceptional memories for…

Maldives on Tuesday, 20th December 2022, welcomed the year’s 1.6 millionth tourist. With this arrival, the country has achieved its state-projected annual arrival total objective. The country’s 1.6 millionth visitor, Tejas Kothari flew into Maldives on Tuesday afternoon via IndiGo. Upon arrivals Tejas received a warm welcome at the Velana International Airport (VIA). Top level officials of Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), Maldives Immigration and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) attended the welcome reception. Tejas arrived in Maldives with his spouse on honeymoon, confirms MMPRC. The 1.6 millionth arrival is from India, which is also…

Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Monday, 12th December ratified the Waste Management Act (Law No: 24/2022). The bill was passed earlier by Maldives parliament at the 43rd sitting of the third session on Monday, November 28, 2022. The act governs implementation and enforcement of sustainable waste management practices and policies, drawn up to mitigate the adverse effects of waste. The law aims to protect public health, outline the standards and procedures for sustainable waste management. Moreover, the bill specifies administrative and punitive measures. The law specifies penalties for any form of damage to waste management systems, including mismanagement and…

Maldives tourist arrivals in annual terms have reached 1,566,083 as of 14th December 2022. Following the annual arrival count by the review date, tourist arrivals observed a 27.6% increment when compared with the same period in 2021. During the same period last year, arrivals had reached 1,227,737. Meanwhile, arrivals were 2.1% lower when compared with the same period in 2019. By the same period in 2019, arrivals were at 1,599,372. Top 10 Markets India: 224,640 Russia: 189,586 UK: 168,123 Germany: 126,866 Italy: 87,218 USA: 75,331 France: 44,165 Spain: 40,674 South Korea: 34,421 Switzerland: 32,653 Moreover, tourist arrivals exclusively for the…

Ministry of Economic Development is seeking interested parties to develop Giraavaru lagoon into a residential city by reclaiming the lagoon. The project includes the island of Giraavaru where a local tourist resort is operated by Thailand’s Centara Hotels and Resorts. The residential city project is aimed at reducing population density in Greater Male’ region; specifically in Male’ City. Ministry of Economic Development recently made the announcement confirming it was seeking contractors willing to develop the lagoon into a residential zone under a cross-subsidy approach. Interested contractors must be willing to invest a minimum of USD 5 million. Moreover, Maldives president…