The Cabinet has decided to waive import duties on electric and renewable energy powered vehicles to boost the government’s initiative to promote the import and use of environmentally friendly products.

Deliberating on a paper presented by the Ministry of Economic Development on waiving import duties on environmentally friendly products imported to the Maldives, the Cabinet also decided to waive import duties on solar panels and solar panel batteries used in marine vessels.

The Cabinet noted that most of the vehicles and marine vessels used in the Maldives rely on fossil fuel – petrol and diesel – and therefore, it was important to give a duty incentive to encourage the import of eco-friendly vehicles and renewable energy products used in vessels.

The Cabinet decided that import duties on these vehicles and products would be waived in accordance with on documentation issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declaring their eco-friendliness.

In addition, the Cabinet deliberated on the matter of introducing a feed in tariff system to encourage adoption of renewable energy in order to attain carbon neutrality goal, secure energy security and reduce dependency on imported oil.

After discussing the matter, the Cabinet, to encourage private investments in renewable energy, decided that the regional utilities companies would purchase electricity produced by renewable energy companies to the grid at the rate Rf3.50 per unit of electricity.

The Cabinet decided to subsidize 50 laari from each unit of electricity, produced using renewable energy, purchased by utilities companies.

Further, the Cabinet decided to waive import duties on raw materials and equipment imported for agriculture, fishing and poultry industries to increase local productivity and develop industries with potential of import substitution.

Cabinet also recommended seeking a 15000 sq ft land in Hulhumale to establish a detoxification centre, a halfway house and other drug rehabilitation infrastructure to be built with international donor assistance.

Source :: Haveeru

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has issued a warning statement given the fact that the New Seven Wonders is still counting Maldives as a contender, after the country’s Cabinet announced it was pulling out of the competition.

The corporation issued the statement following a statement by the New Seven Wonders that Maldives will continue to be a contender despite the government’s decision and an article published on the Minivan News website.

The corporation said it tried to contact New Seven Wonders via email and phone, but to no avail.

MMPRC, which stressed that the government is the sole authority that can do anything under the country’s name, said it approved the Maldives entrance to the competition as it was authorised with the government’s seal and signature.

The statement read, “If the country’s name is used in the competition without the government’s approval, there is no option left but to take legal action.”

In a statement, New Seven Wonders earlier said the organisation has accepted the resignation of the Maldives Ministry of Tourism as the Official Supporting Committee for the Maldives. However, proposals have been made for an alternative Official Supporting Committee for the Maldives, the organisation added.

Meanwhile, Maldives Association for Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) earlier revealed its plan to work jointly with other associations, including the Maldives Association for Construction Industries (MACI), Liveaboard Association of the Maldives and Maldives Association of Yacht Operators (MAYA), to ensure that the Maldives remains in the competition.

MMPRC said the Maldivian government is the only party authorised to take decisions regarding the Maldives participation in the contest, according to the agreement.

The corporation, which raised dubious questions in the statement, noted that following the government’s request to reduce the amount of pay required to stay in the competition, New Seven Wonders asked a third party for funds to sustain the country in the competition.

MMPRC also raised doubts about the authenticity of the voting system.

Source: Haveeru News

The Shark Safari Snorkel at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa brings guests up close and personal with one of the most valuable and vulnerable fish in the sea.

It’s the stuff of missed heartbeats: You jump off the boat, adjust your snorkel and start swimming, trying to ignore the first two notes of the Jaws theme filling your head. Hovering above kaleidoscopic shoals, you start to wonder what’s behind you. Anything? No, surely not. There couldn’t be, could there? You turn in the water, slowly at first, only to see two 2-metre blacktip reef sharks swimming right towards you … and just when you think you’re about to become lunch, they dart away in fear.

Just a 15-minute speedboat ride from Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, the waters around the island of Bandos are a playground for blacktip reef sharks, and it’s not uncommon to see up to eight at a time. Now, thanks to the new Shark Safari Snorkel, guests aged eight and over can join the Resort’s marine biologists on escorted snorkelling trips with these magnificent creatures.

But as scary as the notion may seem, there is a more serious side to the trip – to highlight the desperate plight of the ocean’s sharks. With 100 million killed each year for their fins, shark species worldwide are facing the very real threat of extinction. Eliminating sharks from our oceans would lead to an imbalance of other animals, threatening populations of the smallest creatures and resulting in catastrophic implications for the whole marine food chain. In 2009, the Republic of Maldives became the first nation in the region to impose a shark hunting ban within its waters, but the race is on: can mankind transform its irrational and devastating fear of these perfect predators into a will to preserve them, before it is too late?

Kuda Huraa’s Shark Safari Snorkel departs from the main jetty every Monday and Friday at 2:30 pm, followed by an educational talk on the ecological importance of sharks, conducted by the Resort’s marine biologists at 6:00 pm in the library. Each trip is limited to a maximum of 12 guests.

The Maldives set another record in February, with 87,106 tourists – the highest number recorded in a month – arriving at the island nation, breaking the former record of 79,495 tourists who arrived in January.

The record set last month was an increase of 9.6 percent from the number that arrived in the country in January.

Figures disclosed by the Department of Immigration reveal that the highest number of tourist arrivals – 77,063 tourists – in last year was also recorded in February.

The statistics also reveal that the tourist arrivals within the first two months of this year observed a 15.3 percent increase to 166,601 from the number of tourists that arrived in the country within the period of last year.

Figures show that China dominated the Maldives market with 18,842 tourists, which is a 38.5 percent increase to the number that came to the Maldives in the February of last year. China has an 18.5 percent in the Maldives tourist market, with Europe following in second with 64 percent.

Maldivian resorts operated 20,638 beds in 91 resorts last month while the average occupancy stayed at 94.3 percent.

source: haveeru.com.mv

Etihad Airways announced today that it will commence operations to Malé, the capital city of the Republic of Maldives, on November 1, subject to government approval.

Etihad will operate a daily return service from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Malé International Airport, operating Airbus A320 aircraft on the route, configured with two cabins and offering 1,904 seats each week.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, said: “Malé is the gateway to the premium leisure destination, the Maldive Islands, and given the strong increase in visitation numbers we are seeing in the market, the time is right to launch services to this popular holiday destination.”

Mr Hogan said the commencement of the services in November was perfectly timed to coincide with the start of the busy Northern winter period.

“We expect the services will appeal to UAE leisure travellers, as well as customers from our major European markets, particularly with the strong connectivity options on offer and following the additional frequencies that will come online on a number of our key European routes this summer,” he said.

“Etihad’s schedule, which offers an attractive afternoon arrival and evening departure, has been carefully designed to offer customers maximum leisure time at their destination. In fact, European travellers can take advantage of our overnight flights in both directions, offering them a full extra day in the Maldives.”

The Maldives is made up of close to 1,200 islands grouped into natural atolls; including 200 inhabited islands and 97 resort islands, with a population of close to 300,000 people*. The region features deep blue seas, sandy beaches and turquoise reefs, and with its tropical climate and warm temperatures year round, is a renowned honeymoon and leisure destination.

Etihad Holidays has special packages on offer for the most spectacular of the islands. Offering a wide range of experiences for all budgets, Etihad Holidays has developed tailored packages for honeymooners or families, sun worshippers or divers. The packages include flights, hotel accommodation and island transfers. For further information, call 800 2324 or visit an Etihad shop for more details.

Etihad Guest Members who book early and fly during the first 30 days of operation will be rewarded with twice as many Etihad Guest Miles. For further information, go to etihad.com. Terms and conditions apply.

Malé will become the 67th destination on Etihad’s global network.

Source: arabianaerospace.aero