The State Trading Organisation hiked fuel prices in response to a surge in global oil prices driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Petrol prices were raised from MVR 13.50 (US$ 0.8) per litre to MVR 16.01 per litre. Diesel prices increased from MVR 13.92 per litre to MVR 17.54 per litre. The 18 percent and 26 percent hikes respectively represented the largest hikes in recent history. Private supplier Hawks also increased prices by MVR 2.51 for petrol and MVR 3.62 for diesel.
Emirates has started repatriation flights for tourists stranded since the closure of Gulf airspaces on Saturday, Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen told the press. Flights arrived on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. A FlyDubai flight was scheduled to arrive on Thursday morning amid the cancellation of 15 flights throughout the day. The government was working to "increase frequencies and attract additional operators from regions not affected, to minimise tourism impact and maintain connectivity to the Maldives," Ameen tweeted. Tourist numbers continued to decline with 4,988 arrivals on March 3, down from 6,025 on the same day last year.
The housing ministry gazetted two guidelines outlining rules for the allocation of land in Rasmalé for native and long-term residents of Malé. One guideline establishes criteria for awarding 1,250-square-feet plots. A separate special guideline sets out provisions for granting plots of the same size for two specific categories: joint applicants who were previously allocated land under the Binveriya scheme, and individuals deemed ineligible for the Binveriya scheme because they had already received a housing unit through an earlier programme. Under the new rules, joint applicants must relinquish their shared plot and re-apply individually. Those who previously received housing units will be required to surrender their unit if selected for a plot in Rasmalé. Applications will also open on March 8 under a new category for persons whose spouses own property, the ministry announced.
Police and the Islamic ministry launched an investigation into tour operator Al-Abrar Hajj Umrah Tours and Travels after 110 prospective pilgrims were informed on Tuesday that the company was unable to proceed with their Umrah trips, citing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Several individuals who had paid more than MVR 45,000 gathered outside the company’s office on Tuesday night to protest the last-minute cancellation. The Islamic ministry told local media that the situation in the region did not justify cancelling the trips. Mohamed Shakeel, managing director of the Hajj Corporation, said the state-owned corporation had stepped in to facilitate arrangements for 28 of the affected pilgrims using available slots.
Higher Education Minister Dr Ali Haidar announced changes to the student loan scheme, saying applications will reopen after Ramadan and remain open throughout the year without a deadline. He blamed delays in loan disbursements on universities submitting invoices late. Some institutions send their invoices just a week before the payment deadline, he said.
Former environment minister Aminath Shauna was summoned to the Anti-Corruption Commission in connection with a recommendation made by the economic council during the previous administration. The investigation concerns a settlement agreement concluded based on the council’s recommendation, Adhadhu reported.
Maldives Ports Limited invited bids for the design and construction of a yacht marina in Haa Alif Uligamu, the northernmost inhabited island and a popular stopover for yachts sailing between South and Southeast Asia and Europe. Around 100 to 150 yachts dock at the island each year but facilities remain basic. President Muizzu announced the project during a visit to the island in January last year. MPL CEO Mohamed Wajeeh has previously said Turkish and Chinese firms had expressed interest, and that the marina would be built under contractor financing but operated by MPL.
A tuna processing factory will be built on a 25,000-square-foot site at the Hulhumalé port to buy and process yellowfin tuna, addressing longstanding demands from longline fishermen, Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam said at a press briefing. The project was awarded on a contract finance basis during the first week after Ramadan, he said. The state-owned fisheries company MIFCO resumed buying tuna weighing over 15kg at the previously shuttered Kand Oiy Giri facility in January at a rate of MVR 25 per kilo.
A special audit found that Deputy Youth Minister Hussain Jawaz personally received MVR 1.2 million from the MVR 30 million lost from a Football Association of Maldives project to develop a training facility in Hulhumalé. Jawaz, FAM's former general secretary, was appointed deputy minister shortly after resigning from the association. The audit identified two other recipients: former FAM president Bassam Adil Jaleel, who is serving a 32-year sentence for embezzling FAM funds, and former finance head Mohamed Ageel, who was charged and arrested after fleeing abroad. FAM was expected to earn around MVR 52 million from leasing land allocated for the facility. The Auditor General recommended recovering the funds and taking action against all those responsible.
The government plans to amend laws to explicitly ban the leasing of Hiya social housing flats, Housing Minister Dr Abdulla Muththalib told the press. Current agreements do not give the government authority to repossess units that are being rented out, he said. HDC is monitoring flats being used as expatriate accommodation and issuing notices, Muththalib said. The crackdown follows widespread criticism after a three-bedroom FDC flat intended for MVR 10,500 was advertised for rent at MVR 25,000 shortly after handover last September. The minister also announced a new initiative to identify Malé residents living in severely overcrowded homes and provide them with housing, saying door-to-door visits by President Muizzu had revealed families living in spaces with no ventilation and alleyways too narrow to walk through without turning sideways.
