MTCC blamed the leak of taxi app customers' personal data on an employee rather than a hack. The employee acted without authorisation for personal and political motives, it said, after names, phone numbers, email addresses, wallet IDs, messages and trip histories were posted on social media. MTCC said it has removed the employee from their duties after an internal investigation and will take strict action. Customer data had also leaked when the app launched in April.
After an e-petition against a bill that would allow the government to seize land under council jurisdiction reached the signature threshold, a rival petition was submitted calling for the bill to be passed. It currently has 855 signatures. Adhadhu reported that the counter petition was submitted at the government's behest and that people in political posts and ruling party members are being told to sign it.
Parliament’s decentralisation committee extended the deadline for completing its review of the land bill to 20 August. The petition committee meanwhile decided to seek the Local Government Authority’s opinion on the bill after the e-petition calling for its withdrawal crossed the threshold required to trigger a debate. The committee agreed to send the petition to the floor within the next three sittings. It is not on the agenda for Monday's sitting.
The government signed a US$50 million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank under an Energy Security Emergency Assistance Project to help the Maldives government "respond to elevated global energy prices arising from ongoing geopolitical developments in the Middle East".
The board of directors of the Maldives Tourism Development Corporation has decided to sell shares with the aim of making the company majority state-owned, Dhauru reported. Eight of its nine members had voted to approve the rights issue in order to sell the head lease of Gaafu Dhaalu Magudhuvaa, according to Dhauru.
A petition calling for MPs' health insurance to be abolished gathered more than 1,360 signatures. It was submitted by Midhuam Saud, who also brought the petition against the land bill, and calls for repeal of the provisions giving members, their spouses and children under 18 cover for treatment in the Maldives, SAARC and ASEAN countries, leaving MPs with the national health insurance available to everyone else.
MDP MPs backed the government's bill extending GST to offshore booking platforms, foreign tour operators and travel agents, but asked for more time before it takes effect. Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir said the changes were not clear enough for businesses to know how they would be affected, particularly small and medium operators, and called for consultation at committee stage.
Visit Maldives' theme for Visit Maldives Year 2027, "Islands Are Us", drew criticism for resembling the American retailer Toys "R" Us. Inner Maldives chief executive Mohamed Firag said it sounded like a discount toy shop rather than a destination campaign and that a multibillion-dollar tourism brand deserved better. Social media users made similar comparisons and contrasted it with earlier slogans such as "The Sunny Side of Life". Visit Maldives said the theme takes ownership of the islands the country is known for and invites visitors to look beyond sun, sand and sea, with a visual system built around eight symbols representing adventure, romance, family, culture, luxury, MICE, sustainability and wellness.
Adam Shameem, a lawyer who previously worked for the ruling PNC, was appointed as the chief judicial administrator at the Department of Judicial Administration.
MDP chairperson Nasheed announced that the party’s congress scheduled for 19 September will be open to businesses, NGOs, clubs, music groups and other societies as observers. The congress will also include an investment forum with over 100 bankable and financially viable projects from local councils, and will give participants the opportunity to discuss issues of interest with councils and the “government in waiting”, he said.
Parliament's public accounts committee took its meeting with the MMA on the economy behind closed doors, at the governor's request. Five opposition MPs attending as observers were removed before the meeting proceeded.
A US maritime patrol aircraft provided assistance in the ongoing search of three men lost at sea from the Friend 4 supply vessel that sank in Huvadhoo channel. The chief government spokesperson said that the aircraft flew over the Maldives for five hours on Sunday.
MTCC was contracted to build a dinghy jetty in Villimalé.
