Author: Mohamed Reehaan
One of the longest-serving parliament lawmakers, Maamigili MP and founder of the Jumhoory Party (JP), Qasim Ibrahim, has spoken against the government’s decision to raise the fees related to the expat quota. According to the relevant law, employers need to furnish MVR 350 per expatriate and a MVR 2,000 quota fee per annum per expat employee. The government proposed amendments to the Employment Act recently, which sought to grant the state discretion to revise these fees in every 18 months. The amendment also stipulates that the price revisions must not exceed 30% of the present value. At the Committee on…
Tesla is recalling 1.68 million cars in China for a remote software upgrade to ensure that they warn the driver when the trunk is not locked shut. The announcement made on last Tuesday also said that vehicles with faulty trunk latches will be repaired free of charge. The recalls affect some imported Model S and Model X vehicles and domestically made Model 3 and Model & cars manufactured between October 15, 2020 and July 17, 2024. The recall notice said that an unlocked trunk lid could open during driving, interfering with the driver’s vision. The US-based electric vehicle maker will…
Billionaire Elon Musk’s social media platform X has sued a group of advertisers, alleging that a “massive advertiser boycott” deprived the social media titan of billions of dollars in revenue and violated antitrust laws. X, formerly known as Twitter, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in a federal court in Texas against the World Federation of Advertisers and member companies Unilever, Mars, CVS Health, and Orsted. In the lawsuit, X accused the advertising group’s brand safety initiative, called the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, of helping to coordinate a pause in advertising after Musk bought Twitter for USD 44 billion in…
The Maldives has attracted over 1.2 million tourists as of August 6, 2024 according to the Ministry of Tourism. According to the ministry’s statistics, the island nation has attracted 1,221,816 tourists from January 1 to August 6, which is a 10.2% increment in annual terms compared to the same period last year, during which arrivals stood at 1,108,715. Top 10 Markets 2024 China: 168,624 Russia: 130,908 UK: 107,583 Italy: 89,563 Germany: 88,566 India: 73,258 USA: 43,022 France: 36,732 Switzerland: 25,011 Spain: 23,598 Total arrivals from August 1 to 6 saw a 15.7% increment, registering 38,759 arrivals compared to the 33,488…
The Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has called India an “invaluable partner.” President Dr. Muizzu reaffirmed his administration’s full commitment to strengthening the historic and close connections between the Maldives and India. He made these remarks while speaking at the ceremony held on Saturday at the President’s Office to hand-over the completed water supply and sewerage facilities on 28 islands. The projects were funded by the Indian government’s Line of Credit facility through EXIM Bank of India. President Muizzu highlighted that these initiatives would provide significant economic benefits, boost the local economies, and contribute to the country’s prosperity. He also…
The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has announced seeking eligible applicants for the five Managing Directors positions that were recently introduced to the central bank’s hierarchy. The Maldives central bank made the announcement on Thursday via the state gazette, announcing that it was seeking capable, educated, and experienced applicants for the roles. Eligible applicants of both genders are welcome to apply, MMA said in the announcement. The Managing Directors will be appointed to the following areas: Monetary Policy, Research and Statistics Financial Stability Banking Operations Corporate Service Financial Sector Development MMA also confirms that the MD position’s duration is two terms…
The Maldives tourism board, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), will be operating at a budget of USD 20 million in 2025, said Minister of Tourism Ibrahim Faisal. Faisal said this at the press conference held on Thursday to highlight the success of the recently concluded “Welcome India” 3-City Roadshow aimed at boosting arrivals from the top source market from 2020 to 2023 and encouraging the market to reclaim its spot among top source markets. While MMPRC has a budget allocation of USD 10 million, Faisal said the tourism board does not raise anywhere near the amount but said…
Fenaka Corporation and Villa College on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that aims to facilitate capacity development and training programs for the utility provider’s employees. Villa College will be conducting courses, training programs and other relevant programs to empower and develop the skills of Fenaka Corporation’s employees. In addition to this, the college will also assist in conducting research into the energy sector that will be used as guidelines in making crucial policies related to the sector. “Besides training programs, employees will receive certification in compliance with the URA standards under the agreement,” Fenaka said. Fenaka Corporation’s Managing…
The Maldives government has shared its plans to boost annual tourist arrivals from each of the top source markets to one million within the next five years, said Minister of Tourism Ibrahim Faisal. He said this while speaking at the press conference on Thursday, highlighting the recent success of the “Welcome India” 3-City Roadshow held by the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), NHGAM, and MATATO. At the press conference, Minister Faisal expressed hope that India will reclaim its spot among the top three source markets for the Maldives by the end of 2024. With President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s…
The State Trading Organization (STO), has announced plans to develop a new 25-story multi-purpose building. The project, reportedly worth MVR 18 million, will feature various facilities and spacious working spaces for STO employees. STO on Tuesday announced that interested parties can now submit their expression of interest (EOI) for the project, with the deadline on this on August 13, 2024. This will be an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) model project with a contractor-financing approach. STO will be injecting 15% equity for the project. The new building will be situated next to the STO head office in Male’ City and…