Maldives this week: 28 March - 3 April 2022
Last week's key headlines.
On 3 April, the Election Commission requested the Ministry of Finance to issue MVR32.9 million from budgetary funds to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), the Jumhooree Party (JP) and the Adhaalath Party (AP).
On 2 April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that MV Navios Amaryllis, a cargo ship that had run aground on K. Rasfari reef, has paid the MVR100 million in fines it was charged with for damage to the environment
On 1 April, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said that the biggest joy the Maldives has in welcoming the month of Ramadan is that the country has overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and can now devote full attention to religious matters.
On 31 March, the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) said that it will commence efforts to recover MVR16 billion due to the government with the relief measures implemented for businesses and companies over the past two years with the Covid-19 pandemic.
On 31 March, the Maldivian announced that it will be suspending flights to Sri Lanka's Ratmalana Airport due to low demand. Maldivian had commenced operations to Sri Lanka on 27 March.
On 30 March, the Ministry of Tourism said it received bids for only nine of the 21 islands opened for bid for tourism development in October 2021.
On 30 March, Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Dr Hussein Rasheed Hassan, in a written response to the parliament, said that Th. Funaddoo island has been bought by government fisheries company Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO). The island was sold by the Bank of Maldives (BML) after the company that previously owned it defaulted on a loan.
On 29 March, Vice President Faisal Naseem signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the governments of the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the exchange of experience on government development and modernisation.
On 29 March, the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology signed an agreement for the installation of 11 megawatts of solar power in six islands, to be implemented under the World Bank-funded Accelerating Sustainable Private Investment in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) Project.
On 29 March, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih inaugurated the "Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Network Development Project," supported by a grant from the Government of Japan.
On 28 March, the Government of Maldives issued a statement condemning the terrorist attacks on oil facilities and civilian areas in Saudi Arabia on 25 and 26 March.
On 28 March, the Criminal Court ruled that the case against six individuals charged in the terrorist attack targeting Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed can be pursued.
On 28 March, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reported 2,342 new Covid-19 cases in the country between 14 and 26 March, with one death, increasing total deaths due to Covid-19 to 298.
