The government repaid the US$ 500 million sukuk and US$ 24.68 million in coupon payments due April 8, the finance ministry announced, using the Sovereign Development Fund and other foreign currency balances. The finance ministry did not disclose how much remains in usable reserves after the payment, nor whether any new borrowing was involved. The rollover of a bilateral bond, understood to be a US$ 100 million Abu Dhabi Fund for Development facility, was confirmed. The ministry said it was engaging multilateral partners for additional financing to cover war-related fuel costs. It acknowledged the Middle East war would adversely affect medium-term growth and said it is “formulating a comprehensive set of fiscal policy measures, with a commitment to reducing the impact of the global energy crisis on the vulnerable population.”
President Muizzu inaugurated the state-run taxi service at a ceremony in Malé. MTCC said 150 electric vehicles will be deployed and that 407 full-time and part-time drivers were selected through an interview process aimed at ensuring passenger safety. All fares would follow the taxi rates set by the transport ministry. Customers would be able to book rides through an online web app and seek assistance through the hotline 1655. Neither the web app nor the hotline was accessible as of Thursday night. Speaking at the launch, Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen said the government plans to introduce the service in Addu City later this year.
The Criminal Court sentenced Mohamed Samah (Suvaasaage, Kaafu Kaashidhoo) to death for the 2013 murder of police sergeant Adam Haleem, after the victim's heirs sought qisas (retaliation in kind) under Islamic shariah at the sentencing hearing. The Prosecutor General's Office said the case will now follow procedures under the penal code for death penalty sentences, which requires both appeal courts to review the facts of the case and legal points of the sentence.
President Muizzu inaugurated the newly developed Skate Park Arena at Usfasgandu in Malé. MACL's land reclamation subsidiary meanwhile began mobilising equipment to reclaim a two-kilometre stretch adjacent to the Malé-Hulhumalé highway for a racing track. The reclamation will run northward from where the Sinamalé Bridge meets Hulhulé. Muizzu first announced the project at a youth event in December and said it would be built outside residential areas for safety reasons. Separately, a surfing stadium has been contracted for the Raalhugandu area in Malé, and land has been allocated for an arcade gaming centre and bowling arena.
The state-owned Infrastructure Development Solutions brought in 230 units of heavy machinery from Chinese manufacturer Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group and handed them over to the Road Development Corporation and the finance ministry. The machinery would support infrastructure development projects across the country, RDC said.
HDC denied allegations of corruption in the allocation of private parking spaces in Hulhumalé, saying the list of recipients was published after applications were opened to the public through an announcement and reviewed according to a guideline. The state-owned developer warned that it would seek action against those spreading what it described as false information that eroded confidence in the company.
Environment group Save Maldives criticised plans to build three 17-storey housing towers and a tertiary hospital on green vacant plots in Vilimalé. The group said the housing project would destroy greenery on the only island in the Greater Malé area that has retained a natural environment and remains a refuge for thousands of people seeking open, green space. It urged the government to relocate the project to one of the many unused plots in Hulhumalé, Gulhifalhu or Giraavaru. Save Maldives also questioned plans for a tertiary hospital in Vilimalé, arguing it makes little sense to build one less than 10 minutes from the main public hospital in Malé while healthcare services in the atolls remain underdeveloped, forcing patients to travel to the capital for treatment. The group also called on the Chinese government to direct its investment toward improving healthcare access elsewhere.
Police said an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death of a man found dead in a house on Faashanaakilegefaanu Magu in Malé on Wednesday. There were no visible signs of injury or a struggle on the man’s body, but police said they decided to proceed with an autopsy due to the condition of the body, the length of time since his death, and information obtained about the house where he was found. According to Dhauru, the man was found at Galolhu Fresh Light, a vacant house allegedly being used as a “drug café” that had been raided by police multiple times in the past.
