The government proposed halving the import duty on cigarettes, about a year and a half after hiking the tariff. A bill to amend the Import-Export Act would reduce the ad valorem import duty on cigarettes, cigars and heated tobacco products from 50 percent to 30 percent, while cutting the specific duty charged on each cigarette, cigar or heated tobacco stick from MVR 8 (US$ 0.52) to MVR 4. The cuts would bring down the retail price by around 50 percent. Home Minister Ali Ihusan signalled the cut earlier this month, claiming the move follows WHO advice. The earlier tax rise had fuelled a large black market in smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes, which remain widely available well below the legal price.
The Malé City Council and infrastructure ministry traded accusations over delays in a stalled fish market project. President Muizzu on Friday accused the opposition-majority council for refusing to hand over land occupied by the current local market despite a request from the ministry. The infrastructure ministry released a video on Saturday highlighting the condition of the existing local market and blaming the city council for the delay in developing a “modern market”. The city council said the land could not be handed over until an existing contract with Hairu Engineering Consultancy was cancelled, citing possible legal challenges and the need to properly manage the relocation of vendors due to the social and economic impact. It also said the project was part of its strategic action plan, but the ministry had refused to engage on it, and asked the Local Government Authority to mediate. The ministry responded by saying it had written to the council four times since March 29 requesting the land and claimed Hairu Engineering Consultancy had informed the council it had no objection to terminating the agreement. The ministry said the council had still declined to end the contract, despite the contractor having carried out limited work, and argued the land could be handed over even before formal termination. The ministry said the council’s refusal had delayed the new project, cited the Decentralisation Act as giving the government authority to take over land for development, and accused the council of prioritising political interests over the public interest.
The Housing Development Corporation mistakenly overpaid annual bonuses to 200 employees, amounting to more than MVR 1 million, and had asked staff to repay the excess amount. A senior HDC official told Dhauru that employees who joined midway through the year were incorrectly paid the full annual bonus of MVR 18,600 instead of MVR 9,000.
Police said two men, aged 21 and 34, were involved in an assault on the reclaimed land of Farukolhufushi in Hulhumalé Phase 2 at 6:37pm on Sunday. Both men were treated for injuries at Hulhumalé Hospital and later released. Police said the 21-year-old was arrested after being discharged from hospital. Local media identified the 34-year-old as Ismail Abdul Raheem 'Isu,' who was arrested in 2022 in connection with the murders of Maldives Independent journalist Ahmed Rilwan and blogger Yameen Rasheed. Charges against Isu were dismissed by the court in November 2023 after it ruled there was insufficient evidence. He is currently a director at the state-owned Housing Development Corporation.
Customs seized an additional 6,328 vape cartridges from a shipment of goods declared as general cargo in an operation conducted in Male’ Commercial harbor on Saturday.
STELCO took over utility services in all inhabited islands of Meemu Atoll except Mulah, as part of plans to transfer utility operations in Baa, Lhaviyani and Meemu atolls from Fenaka.
A young electrician was sacked from STELCO after attending the MDP's protest against politically motivated dismissals. Mohamed Maasih 'Maachy,' who holds a bachelor's in electrical and electronics engineering, was told of his dismissal on Sunday; the termination notice gave no reason. Maasih is an MDP member who takes part in party activities and has contested some internal party posts. MDP chairman and former president Mohamed Nasheed condemned the dismissal, posting that the intimidation and injustice of Muizzu's government had to end, and that the MDP would end it along with what he called the unpopular president's rule. Not politicising hiring and firing was a Muizzu campaign pledge, but more than 14 people have allegedly been dismissed over political matters so far this year.
A study by Islamic University of Maldives found that many Grade 9 and 10 students in several schools were staying awake until the early hours of the morning. Dr Aminath Shafiya, dean of the university’s Centre for Research and Publications, said a study of schools in Malé, Kaafu, Alif Alif and Haa Dhaal atolls to examine the causes of students absenteeism had found that excessive phone use at night and constant consumption of online content were causing students to miss classes, feel sleepy or irritable during lessons, and experience headaches or stomach discomfort in the mornings. She added that information overload from social media has become a growing challenge for adolescents.
Maldives Qualifications Authority fined Avid College for repeatedly issuing certificates to students who were never enrolled at the institution. The authority said the college had already been warned earlier this year after issuing certificates to Sri Lankan students who had not registered, but continued the practice despite the warning. MQA said running programmes in violation of accreditation rules, including conducting accredited programmes abroad without approval, harms the credibility of higher education standards in the Maldives and urged students and institutions to verify accreditation status before enrolling in any programme.
The MDP’s national council, chaired by newly-elected chairman, former President Nasheed, approved the establishment of a “Bodu Badhalu” (Big Change) office. Former MP Hassan Latheef was appointed as its director general
Residents of Kaafu Huraa told Adhadhu that the ruling party majority of the new island council is refusing to hand over 17 plots of land awarded by the previous council for tourism development through a competitive bidding process.
Monthly statistics released by the family welfare ministry showed that 25 cases of child sexual abuse and 36 cases of domestic violence were reported in May. The ministry also recorded 1,370 calls to the child helpline and 626 calls to the social service helpline, while 161 people sought counselling services, 44 accessed psychosocial support, and 14 participated in parenting sessions.
Ibrahim Ziyath, was removed from the executive board of Maldives Ports Limited last month, had also resigned from his position as the company’s deputy CEO.
