Maldives State Shipping (MSS) has announced it was preparing to launch shipping operations to Kulhudhuffushi and Addu cities.
The state shipping corporation, a subsidiary under State Trading Organization (STO) is now seeking a vessel to launch operations for the new routes.
MSS had previously operated a shipping vessel between Addu and Tuticorin, India, launched in October 2020. The operation came to a halt in March 2022 owing to lack of local industry support.
During the operational period between Addu and Tuticorin, MSS operated a 4,000-ton capacity vessel whereas the combined total of imports by Addu City entrepreneurs did not exceed 300 tons.
To minimize wastage of this operation, MSS directed the remainder of the vessel’s capacity on transporting goods for STO and for ongoing projects in Addu City, the demand for which dropped once the projects concluded.
Speaking about the corporation’s latest business decision, MSS Executive Director Captain Mohamed Nazim said that the corporation began seeking the vessel for its Kulhudhuffushi and Addu operations a month earlier.
Nazim further claimed that the operations will incorporate a smaller vessel compared to the previous one, and said it would be ideal for the logistical operations between the new routes.