At a formalisation ceremony in Malé, the government signed agreements with 53 private contractors for 206 infrastructure projects worth MVR 2.7 billion (US$ 175 million), including building 825 housing units on 13 islands. The projects will be “implemented under an investor-finance model” with resource mobilisation to commence within 21 days, according to the finance ministry. President Muizzu hailed it as a record single-day award of projects to local companies. Including deals signed over the past three days, a total of 216 projects are to be carried out on 123 islands “across nine major sectors, including education, health, environment, fisheries, sports, housing, religion, social development, and youth.” The no-bid contracts were handed out after the public finance rules were relaxed in October to allow the cabinet to bypass public tenders.
The 53 contractors enlisted by the government include several companies linked to ruling party lawmakers, Adhadhu reported. Fourteen projects worth MVR 658.7 million were awarded to MP Ibrahim Naseem’s Altec Maldives, MP Saudhulla Hilmy’s MIMS Construction and Swift Engineering, and MP Ahmed Thoriq’s Myna Sports, as well as a company owned by Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla’s wife.
An inquiry into the death of two crew members after a landing craft capsized at the Malé port found that the captain did not have a licence to operate the vessel. He was not qualified to issue loading instructions, but had ordered one of two excavators to be moved, which destabilised the vessel and caused it to turn over, according to preliminary findings released by the Maldives Ports Limited. The use of a metal deck instead of a wooden deck could have caused the cargo to slide, the report noted.
Project Thimaaveshi, an Addu City-based youth environmental group, published a letter presented to President Muizzu during his recent visit to the southernmost atoll, urging him to halt a project to reclaim part of the wetland adjacent to the protected Eedhagili Kilhi.
Five Bangladeshis were arrested at the Hulhumalé container jetty while offloading used cooking oil from resorts in violation of a Food and Drug Authority directive. Police found 46 jerrycans of used cooking oil. The criminal court remanded four of the five suspects for 10 days.
A total of 35 people were fined a combined MVR 226,000 for possession, use, and sale of vapes and e-cigarettes in October.
Qatar’s minister of state for foreign affairs paid a courtesy call on President Muizzu.
Maldives became a member of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which the foreign ministry said offers an opportunity to utilise space-derived data to enhance climate monitoring, maritime safety, environmental protection, and disaster preparedness.
The criminal court began hearing witness testimonies in the corruption trial of former immigration controller Mohamed Shamaan Waheed. The presiding judge defended the decision to keep him in detention during the proceedings. The court heard testimony from the owner of the building where Shamaan resided regarding CCTV footage shared with police that allegedly showed immigration officers carrying a bag containing cash.
