Friday, January 30, 2009

Jet Li: People should keep giving

Chinese action film star Jet Li on Thursday appealed for people to keep giving money for good causes despite the world economic crisis.

The "Lethal Weapon 4" star, who set up his own foundation after a brush with danger during the 2004 Asian tsunami, appeared at the Davos forum in Switzerland, to press his case for more action.

"I am not here to ask you for your money. I am here for your hearts. Even if the economy is down, you still have one yuan a month," he said at a meeting on philanthropy with former British prime minister Tony Blair and ex-US president Bill Clinton.

"Even if you have a million, you would still think it was not enough," added Li, whose One Foundation aims to help victims of natural disasters.

Li and his family were in a Maldives hotel which was flooded during the tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean in December, 2004, killing about 220,000 people.

Source: inquirer.net

2008 Asia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - companiesandmarkets.com adds new report


Executive Summary

BuddeComm’s Annual Publication provides a comprehensive overview of the trends and developments in telecommunications, broadcasting and pay TV markets in: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan

As the political and social rebuilding of the country proceeds following years of war and civil unrest, the country has been busy putting new


national telecommunications infrastructure in place. Telecommunications has already started to play a big role in helping repair the Afghanistan economy and society.

A properly functioning basic telephone network has been and continues to be a high priority for the Afghani Government. As part of this commitment, an important step was the creation of the Ministry of Communications in 2002, followed by the establishment of a regulator, the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority in 2005.

With ongoing unrest in the country and the recovery from war not yet complete, one of the big challenges for the country has been to attract and manage foreign investment. There have been some positive signs in the telecom sector in this regard and, interestingly, for a period the telecom sector was the only one in the country that was attracting any foreign capital.

With two mobile operators already in place, the MoC announced in late 2005 that two more mobile licences had been awarded. In July 2006, the Investcom/Alokozai consortium launched its Areeba Afghanistan service in four provinces and by mid-2007 the new operator already had 500,000 subscribers, as the overall market pushed along at an annual growth rate of around 70%. In a similar story, UAE’s Etisalat was awarded a GSM licence in May 2006 and beginning its operations in August 2007, launched a network with coverage of the country’s main cities, picking up 200,000 subscribers in the first month. For the country overview, see chapter 1, page 15.

Bangladesh

Despite being one of the poorest, most densely populated, least developed countries in the world, Bangladesh has found a way to grow its telecommunications sector. It has done this by creating a highly competitive mobile market and encouraging healthy foreign participation. The country is still struggling with its lowly economic status, frequent natural disasters such cyclones and floods and the slow implementation of much-needed economic reforms. This state of affairs is reflected in the fixed-line segment of the local telecom market which remains stagnant with a teledensity of less than 1%, the lowest in South Asia. With almost 99% of homes lacking a telephone and with a four year waiting list for fixed-line services, the country is still struggling with some of the most underdeveloped telecommunications infrastructure in the world.

So it is with some fascination that the outsider observes what has been and continues to be a booming mobile market in Bangladesh. After a number of years of strong growth, mobile penetration was approaching 25% coming into 2008 and the market was still growing at an annual rate of around 75%. The challenge for the operators is to maintain viable business models, given that ARPU falls as they chase subscribers in the rural areas where 80% of the population lives in 86,000 villages. The market was given a real boost when, in early 2008, the Vodafone Group signalled that it was looking to buy a 30% stake in mobile operator AkTel. For the country overview, see chapter 2, page 35.

The Maldives

The Maldives prides itself on having built one of the most advanced telecommunications systems in the region. With the country’s well-developed national network, the capital Malé is particularly well served, as are the tourist resort islands. The critical issue of connectivity to the rest of the world for its relatively small population of 300,000 has been addressed with considerable success; this has been further enhanced by the recent provision of a major submarine cable connection to Sri Lanka; at the same time the opportunity was taken to provide submarine cable links between the main atolls, thereby substantially strengthening the domestic connectivity. Incumbent national telco, Dhiraagu, which has been criticised over the years for its high tariff structure, has played an undeniably important role in the successful setting up of the country’s telecom infrastructure.

Dhiraagu’s monopoly was officially set to run out in 2008, but the government was keen to open up the market earlier than that. The licensing of a second ISP in 2002 signalled the government’s intention to move ahead of time. Then, in 2004, a second mobile licence was issued. Although the new mobile operator Wataniya Telecom was tardy in becoming operational, it launched in 2006. By September 2007, it had 62,000 subscribers, an almost 25% share of the market. For the country overview, see chapter 3, page 79.

Pakistan

Pakistan has begun to experience sustained growth in its telecom sector, and especially the mobile segment of the market. This pattern has emerged after many years of relatively low growth and market uncertainty. The 2006/07 period has been a remarkable period for the mobile operators in the country, as the total subscriber base moved from 22 million at the beginning of 2006 to 77 million at the end of 2007. By early 2008, the 50% penetration milestone had been reached, probably much faster than most people expected.

There is no doubt that the arrival of two new operators - UAE-based Warid Telecom and Norway’s Telenor, who entered the mobile sector with impressive debuts in 2005 – has had an enormous impact on the market. This quickly resulted in increased competition and spurred growth in the country’s mobile sector. Telenor attracted 839,000 subscribers in the space of a few months and Warid added 509,000 customers in an even shorter period of time. By end-2005, Telenor had 1,870,000 subscribers and Warid Telecom claimed 2,070,000. Between them, they had rapidly grabbed 18% of the booming market. By end-2007, their combined share of the almost 80 million strong market had reached 35%. Strong marketing by the operators has been central to Pakistan’s mobile growth phenomenon.

In the meantime, fixed-line penetration in the country stood at just over 4% (7 million lines) in early 2008, leaving plenty of room for further expansion. The government has indicated that it is continuing to pursue its targeted national teledensity of 7% (around 10 million lines) by 2010. To achieve this target, though, around 1 million additional lines need to be installed each year. Internet penetration remains low in the country, with little apparent interest in the marketplace in broadband access. With competition spreading through the market, however, development is accelerating and it may impact on the Internet segment soon. For the country overview, see chapter 4, page 91.

Sri Lanka

A modern progressive telecommunications sector still remains a high priority for Sri Lanka and the country is continuing its efforts to achieve this. Progress is being made, but with ongoing political problems still hovering in the background. The mobile sector in Sri Lanka has continued to grow at an annual rate of around 50% coming into 2008. With mobile penetration was at around 40% by end-2007, this is relatively low compared with some of the other more developed Asian markets and the current strong growth will more than likely to continue.

The country’s fixed-line teledensity stood at 12% by end-2006, the number of fixed line subscribers having jumped by 100% in a two year period. This was evidence that low fixed-line penetration levels have been more a result of acute supply constraints rather than a lack of demand for service. The growth surge was spurred on by the extensive use of WLL services to meet demand. There were still a significant number of customers waiting for a basic telephone, but there were healthy signs that infrastructure problems were being addressed.

Market reform still demands attention as this is central to ensuring continuing growth. The market has undoubtedly benefited from the liberalisation of the market and the competition that comes with having four mobile operators battling for market share. This is despite one of these – Dialog – having close to 55% market share. Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) progressively losing its monopoly on a range of services has led the way as the market is made more interesting for new players. For the country overview, see chapter 5, page 154.

Key highlights

• Afghanistan’s rapidly expanding mobile market was impressive, with 100% growth in 2007;

• Early signs of a boom in Internet usage in Afghanistan with an estimated one million users by end-2007;

• In Bangladesh, mobile subscriber numbers more than trebled in the two years to December 2007 and the market was continuing its strong growth;

• The Maldives has benefited from its newly competitive market, with overall service improving greatly since the arrival of Wataniya Telecom;

• Wataniya has quickly grabbed 30% of the mobile market in the Maldives;

• Pakistan has also seen its mobile sector boosted by increased competition, with newcomers Warid Telecom and Telenor claiming a big stake in that market;

• By end-2007, their combined share of the almost 80 million strong Pakistan mobile market had reached 35%;

• Fixed-line subscriptions have experienced a surprisingly big surge in Sri Lanka, doubling in the last two years.

Mobile subscriber growth and forecast - by country – 2004 - 2007; 2011

Country 2004 2005 2006 2007 2011

Afghanistan 0.6 1.0 1.6 2.0 4.9

Bangladesh 4.0 10.4 22.0 35.0 70.0

Maldives 0.11 0.17 0.28 0.32 0.35

Pakistan 7.9 15.5 48.2 80.0 150.0

Sri Lanka 2.2 3.3 5.4 6.8 13.2

Source: pr-inside.com

Billion dollar Maldivian construction industry awaits Lankan investors


Maldives Construction Fair 2009 provides mega opportunity

A billion dollar construction industry awaits Sri Lankan investors who participate in the Maldives Construction Fair(MCF) to be held in Male in April,the President of the Maldives Association of Construction Industry (MACI) Mohammad Ali Jannah,said.

Addressing the launch of the Maldives Construction Fair 2009 at the Taj Samudra Hotel on Wednesday,he said that Maldives was a country that imports almost everything and with the new governments policy of large scale privatization,there are endless opportunities for the bold and enterprising,who want to be part of his country’s ambitious development programme.

"A one billion US dollar construction industry awaits investors who are willing to take the plunge in an environment of global recession and reap the benefits of cheaper prices.The construction of 10,000 housing units and 64 tourist resorts are in the pipeline.

The investment in new resorts have been estimated around US$ 40 million.This of course, is in addition to the existing resorts numbering around 150,which also require various supplies.I like to see intense competition, so that the end product would not only be good, but also reasonably priced."

The Maldivian government,wants to reduce the number of inhabitated islands from 1192 to 190, so that better infrastructure facilities could be provided.Many state ventures including the Male International Airport are also up for privatization.So these are some of the many areas which Sri Lankan constructors and suppliers could exploit,Jannah said.

Asked,as to when Hulumalle the island adjoining the capital Male,which is being constructed on land reclaimed from the sea,might be completed,he said that only his government would be able to give a specific answer."But,we know for sure that the new administration wants to divide Maldives into seven regions and develop all equally well."

Director, South Asia Exhibition Services(SAE) Imran Hassan said that the fourth Maldives Construction Fair,will be held from April 20 to 22,2009 at the Dharubaaruge Exhibition Hall, in Male.

Complementing Jannah for being the brains behind the Construction Fair,he said that Maldives continues to be the best choice venue ."It was chosen as the Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards 2008 and many new islands and resorts are under construction,in addition to major infrastructure projects."

Organized by the Maldives Exhibition and Conference Services Private Limited, in association with MACI, this year’s Fair will showcase the latest products and services in the market.Over 4000 trade and business visitors are expected to participate, surpassing the 2008 figure of 3127.

They would include building and construction industry personnel, agents, distributors, contractors, state and private sector manufacturers,engineers, architects, interior designers and the general public,Hassan said.

Manager SAE,Husnie Rauff presented a video clip showcasing the facilities that investors could expect at MCF 2009 and how the Maldivian construction industry works.

Eighty percent of the participants at MCF 2008,he said were from Sri Lanka and he expects that number to increase this year,due to a fully privatized environment in the Maldives.

Source: island.lk

Billion dollar Maldivian construction industry awaits Lankan investors

Maldives Construction Fair 2009 provides mega opportunity

A billion dollar construction industry awaits Sri Lankan investors who participate in the Maldives Construction Fair(MCF) to be held in Male in April,the President of the Maldives Association of Construction Industry (MACI) Mohammad Ali Jannah,said.

Addressing the launch of the Maldives Construction Fair 2009 at the Taj Samudra Hotel on Wednesday,he said that Maldives was a country that imports almost everything and with the new governments policy of large scale privatization,there are endless opportunities for the bold and enterprising,who want to be part of his country’s ambitious development programme.

"A one billion US dollar construction industry awaits investors who are willing to take the plunge in an environment of global recession and reap the benefits of cheaper prices.The construction of 10,000 housing units and 64 tourist resorts are in the pipeline.

The investment in new resorts have been estimated around US$ 40 million.This of course, is in addition to the existing resorts numbering around 150,which also require various supplies.I like to see intense competition, so that the end product would not only be good, but also reasonably priced."

The Maldivian government,wants to reduce the number of inhabitated islands from 1192 to 190, so that better infrastructure facilities could be provided.Many state ventures including the Male International Airport are also up for privatization.So these are some of the many areas which Sri Lankan constructors and suppliers could exploit,Jannah said.

Asked,as to when Hulumalle the island adjoining the capital Male,which is being constructed on land reclaimed from the sea,might be completed,he said that only his government would be able to give a specific answer."But,we know for sure that the new administration wants to divide Maldives into seven regions and develop all equally well."

Director, South Asia Exhibition Services(SAE) Imran Hassan said that the fourth Maldives Construction Fair,will be held from April 20 to 22,2009 at the Dharubaaruge Exhibition Hall, in Male.

Complementing Jannah for being the brains behind the Construction Fair,he said that Maldives continues to be the best choice venue ."It was chosen as the Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards 2008 and many new islands and resorts are under construction,in addition to major infrastructure projects."

Organized by the Maldives Exhibition and Conference Services Private Limited, in association with MACI, this year’s Fair will showcase the latest products and services in the market.Over 4000 trade and business visitors are expected to participate, surpassing the 2008 figure of 3127.

They would include building and construction industry personnel, agents, distributors, contractors, state and private sector manufacturers,engineers, architects, interior designers and the general public,Hassan said.

Manager SAE,Husnie Rauff presented a video clip showcasing the facilities that investors could expect at MCF 2009 and how the Maldivian construction industry works.

Eighty percent of the participants at MCF 2008,he said were from Sri Lanka and he expects that number to increase this year,due to a fully privatized environment in the Maldives.

Source: island.lk

Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Maldives retains top spot in Kuoni long haul report

The Maldives has remained the most popular destination in the Kuoni Longhaul Report, despite not allowing non-Muslims to be married there.

Kuoni head of product Wendy Kenneally said the destination maintained its position in the annual report, which lists the operator’s top-selling destinations, as couples can renew their vows there. It is also the operator’s most popular destination with honeymooning couples.

Thailand has also fought off competition to hold its second place despite the political unrest which saw rioters close down Bangkok airport over the Christmas period.

Kenneally added: “Thailand started off very strongly and was good to mid-year. However, what had started as a promising year ended in protests.”

Kenneally added the situation in Thailand appears to have calmed down and customers are once again being drawn to it largely thanks to the value on offer once they have arrived.

America has taken third place from Egypt thanks to an increase in weekend breaks with New York and Las Vegas proving particularly strong while Egypt came fourth largely due to the fact it is a mid-haul destination.

Kenneally added Sri Lanka moved in to the top five of the operator’s Longhaul Report despite ongoing fighting between the country’s government and the Tamil Tigers.

She said this had been driven by the fact that Sri Lanka remains the most popular wedding destination and the second most popular honeymoon destination.

Source: travelweekly.co.uk

New State-Of-The-Art Sunset Water Villa Pools at Conrad Maldives

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has upgraded its two exclusive Sunset Water Villas with new state-of-the-art private swimming pools.

At eight metres long, four metres wide and 1.2 metres deep, the pools offer guests the ultimate private swimming experience just steps from the Villa, raised above the beautiful Indian Ocean lagoon.

Featuring LED Chromatherapy lighting designed to balance a person’s energy by directing light and colour to acupressure points in the body, the pools also offer an extension of the resort’s spa therapies available at the Over-Water Spa and destination Spa Retreat.

The outdoor living area is completed with new lounge furniture from the award winning DEDON line. The two Sunset Water Villas are the crème de la crème of the resort’s accommodation options, set in their own private area of the lagoon and accessible by boat or private walkway.


The 250 square metre two-bedroom villas feature luxurious facilities with glass floored living rooms, two large marble bathrooms, two flat-screen satellite TV systems (including one which descends from the bedroom ceiling), a circular bed which rotates 180 degrees to view the breathtaking sunsets and an outdoor Jacuzzi, whilst a private butler service takes care of the guests’ needs.

Accommodation in a Sunset Water Villa costs USD5,500 to USD8,000 per villa per night, valid for up to four people sharing and including breakfast.

For reservations, visit www.conradmaldives.com.

Source: ftnnews.com

Friday, January 23, 2009

BML CEO set to leave this month


CEO of Bank of Maldives is scheduled to leave to her country on the 25th of this month. Although there has been no official statement on the issue, a senior official of the bank said that it has been said so and that there are signs of it being true.

Minister of Finance and Treasury Ali Hashim said that there has been such reports and that they are discussing with related authorities, but that he would not reveal anything formally now.

Miadhu News learns that although the government has assigned and announced a new board of directors for Bank of Maldives, the newly installed Board is yet to assume any responsibility. Minister Ali Hashim has also said that the changes could be brought after holding a bank meeting and that it would take around 3-4 weeks for formalities to be completed.

The Audit Report recently publicized by the Auditor General states that actions taken by CEO of Bank of Maldives without consulting the board of directors has caused huge losses the bank and that the CEO has allegedly used bank finance for personal benefit.

Therefore, a lot of people are concerned that the CEO of Bank of Maldives is set to leave the country without being held accountable for her actions at a time when the President and Finance Ministry is looking into alleged corruption involving the Bank of Maldives scandal.

Source: miadhu.com.mv

Josh Duhamel Tees It Up in the Bahamas


Fresh off a honeymoon in the Maldives, Josh Duhamel enjoyed a little time away from the bride as he teed off in the Bahamas on Thursday afternoon (January 22).

According to a source in the know, the newlywed “Transformers” hunk is extending his honeymoon in the Caribbean after spending time in the Indian ocean alongside his lovely wife Fergie.

As for Josh and his Black Eyed Peas singing bride’s honeymoon, details are slowly but surely emerging - sounding as if things went quite well.

“They took cooking classes, they took private yoga and tennis lessons ... and you know what else they did? They went fishing!” a source told Extra, joking about the fact that the couple had a little pond at their wedding, inviting guests to cast a line during the celebratory festivities.

Source: celebrity-gossip.net

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Hrithik, Barbara Mori disappear underwater


Hrithik Roshan's upcoming flick Kites is in the news for the most controversial reasons. The story seems nothing out of the ordinary, but it is the heated love scenes between the leading man and Latino babe Barbara Mori that have got everyone's attention.

The cast of Kites has travelled far and wide to shoot the film - after New Mexico, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the next shoot is scheduled for the Maldives for a passionate underwater love scene.

According to reports, Anurag Basu, the director of the film felt the beautiful beaches of the Maldives will be perfect for a love song between Hrithik and Barbara. After intense shooting for four days, they will be back in Mumbai.

Let's hope all the hype about the sensuality of the film doesn't get it into trouble with the censors or the moral police that is forever active in our country.

Source: movies.ndtv.com

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Maldives to divest govt business

The newly elected Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed said that his government will soon divest all its business concerns in the country and urged the Sri Lankan business leaders to take up this golden opportunity to expand their business to the Maldives.

According to Maldivian President some of the key business concerns includes the generation of electricity power and supply, highways, ports and the air port. He told the Sri Lankan business community that it is a grand opportunity for the Sri Lankan private sector business leaders to participate in these business acquisitions.

The Maldivian President also assured that that there is utmost transparency in all these divesting activities and there is no need whatsoever to offer any kickbacks to any Maldivian officials.

The Maldivian President made this remarks when he met with Sri Lankan business leaders during his visit to Sri Lanka which was organized by the Small and Medium Enterprise Developers (SMED) Division of Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the meeting the President of the FCCISL Kosala Wickramanayake said that the offer made by the Maldivian President is vitally important and from a business perspective the contributions made by Sri Lankan hotel sector and the exporters are tremendous towards the Maldives and there is no doubt that these Sri Lankan business concerns would make successful approaches into the impending thriving Maldivian Market for many of the Sri Lankan Products.

Mr Wickramanayake also said that the Sri Lankan Business Community could expand its ties and venture into many other areas so that both the countries will stand to gain economically.

President Nasheed continuing his address said that he has decided that the Maldivian Government should not be doing business and thus have decided to divest all their government business concerns.

He said that already Galle Face Hotels Group has invested in the area of hotel industry and commented that Sri Lankan hotel and leisure industry has already invested heavily in the Maldives. He also said that Sri Lankan private sector has invested heavily in his country and urged the Sri Lankan private sector to expend into other business areas where there is ample opportunity available.

A powerful Maldivian business delegation also was present and they have met a high powered Sri Lankan Private Sector delegation and discussed mutual business opportunities.

FCCISL in general indicated what Sri Lanka could offer such aspects as SME Development and Management Services; Enterprise Development Services; Industrial Engineering/Technology Services; agribusiness development and; Environmental/Resources Management.

Source: www.lankaeverything.com

Friday, January 9, 2009

The Second economic crisis

In early January 2008, many virtual banks in Second Life, some which offered as much as 200% and 300% annual interest rates, collapsed

If outgoing US treasury secretary Hank Paulson’s skeletal visage and your stock portfolio statements aren’t enough to convince you that the global economy is in peril, then a trip to Second Life might help convince you.

Second Life is an elaborate virtual online world run by US-based Linden Labs. Users of Second Life, called Residents, use a free desktop application to create online avatars and then interact with others. Residents can not only socialize, but also buy and sell virtual land and trade in virtual products and services. There is even a virtual currency, Linden dollars, that is convertible to real-world money on currency exchanges.

Second Life, then, started out as the ultimate libertarian project. Residents were free to run any business they wanted to without being hindered by the rules, regulations and oversight that made real-world business and economics boring and complicated. Little wonder then that according to some estimates, in 2007, Second Life may have achieved a gross domestic product of close to half a billion dollars (real dollars, of course.)

Enterprising Second Lifers became virtual Linden dollar millionaires with vast swathes of digital land in their control and thriving businesses in property, clothing and even furniture. So trendy had the service become that hundreds of universities opened virtual branches and, starting with the Maldives, some countries even ran virtual embassies.

Unfortunately, the Second Life economy was not as decoupled as residents may have thought. In early January 2008, many virtual banks in Second Life, some which offered as much as 200% and 300% annual interest rates, collapsed. Users made runs on several banks till accounts had to be frozen. Bankers, residents found too late, were unable to live up to their payout promises.
And now, in an uncanny reflection of real-world turmoil, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that land prices on Second Life may have crashed by as much as 90%.

While it seems unlikely that these property dealers will find a second life in Paulson’s Troubled Assets Relief Programme, the crisis in the virtual world only strengthens our faith in a suddenly fashionable old adage: If a money-making scheme, real or virtual, seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Source: livemint.com

Maldives looks to India for support

The new democratic government in the Maldives would look towards India for support and advice on economic and social development, Maldives’ Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Naseem said here on Thursday.

Speaking to The Hindu on his way to meet the Foreign Secretary and other officials in New Delhi, Mr. Naseem said that following the recent change in government, the Maldives was committed to creating a transparent economy. Decentralisation and privatisation were key priorities, he said, to tackle the huge debt that stood at nearly 54 per cent of the GDP.

“We are seeking assistance from the Indian government on the know-how and technicalities [of decentralisation]. There are also a lot of government enterprises that are white elephants. Selling off shares of these companies to the private sector and foreign players, including utility companies, transport companies, fisheries [and others] is a priority area,” he said.

The government led by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had brought a sense of freedom to the Maldivians. There were teething troubles, including the issues connected with the parliamentary elections scheduled for next month, Mr. Naseem said. Parliamentarians had recessed without passing the required bills and the President was trying to go through the Supreme Court to ensure that the polls were held as scheduled. (The President is both the chief of state and head of government.)

In general, however, the Maldives was heading towards a stable multi-party political system, he said.

Regional approach

In its foreign policy, the Maldives recognised the importance of a regional approach to achieve growth, and was hence focusing on India and its South Asian neighbours, Mr. Naseem said.

His delegation would request the Indian government to encourage private investment in the Maldives. He would be meeting representatives from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and was expecting a visit from CII members to the Maldives around the end of this month.

Mr. Naseem said the recent Mumbai terror attacks were of concern to the Maldives because of its vast coastline and its vulnerability to possible infiltration.

The Defence Minister would be coming soon to India to discuss security-related issues, he said.

Another team led by the Minister for Health would also look at Indian medical expertise, to provide health services in the Maldives. “Nearly 86 per cent of the people in the Maldives prisons are in for drug-related offences,” the Minister said. The government was concerned about the spread of drug abuse and said that nearly 30 per cent of the population abused drugs.

In his current visit, he had visited hospitals in Bangalore and Chennai along with the Deputy Minister for Health to look at partnerships to treat the drug abuse victims and treat the malaise in society. An agreement would be firmed up when the Minister for Health visited India later this month.

Sounding an optimistic note, Mr. Naseem said the Maldives wanted to announce to the world that it was “open again for business,” and said the main purpose of his visit was to build bridges for future cooperation.

Source: www.thehindu.com

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Tories help new Maldives president prepare for parliamentary elections

A delegation of senior Tories flew to the Maldives on Tuesday to help prepare the island nation's new president for the country's first-ever multi-party democratic parliamentary elections next month.

Mr Nasheed, known locally as Anni, became president on Oct 29 with the support of a broad coalition that included candidates from four other political parties Photo: AP

Mohammed Nasheed, a one-time Amnesty International "prisoner of conscience", spectacularly beat his former jailer and Asia's longest-serving ruler, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, in the Maldives' first democratic election in October.

But now his Maldivian Democratic Party faces its first test next month, with all the seats in the People's Majlis, or parliament, being contested.

The Tories played a key role in Mr Nasheed's defeat of Mr Gayoom, who had been in power for 30 years, and the new president has called on Richard Spring MP, vice-chairman of the Conservative party, to lend advice on how the MDP can capture a majority in the February elections.

At present the MDP's coalition has a small working majority based solely on presidential appointments under the old system.

Mr Nasheed, known locally as Anni, became president on Oct 29 with the support of a broad coalition that included candidates from four other political parties.

His MDP is closely aligned with the Conservative Party and Anni, who graduated from John Moore University, Liverpool, is known to be a good friend of the shadow foreign secretary, William Hague.

His own long political journey to the presidency began at Dauntsey's, the public school in rural Wiltshire where he attended sixth form. There he met David Hardingham, who later formed the Friends of Maldives, a British-based pressure group which helped to alert the world to the brutality of Mr Gayooms regime.

"Dauntsey's old boy and girl network assisted me a lot. Its education has served me well and Britain's private school education has a deserved reputation for excellence", he said.

After graduating in 1989, Mr Nasheed returned to the Maldives, where he soon became a champion of the democratic movement and a thorn in Mr Gayoom's side. During the next 19 years, Mr Gayoom mounted a sustained campaign of intimidation against him, exiling him on numerous occasions and allegedly ordering his torture.

As a result of his treatment, in 2004 Mr Nasheed was granted political asylum in Britain, where he began lobbying MPs to put pressure on Mr Gayoom.

"It was the Conservatives who took an interest in us," he said. "Their human rights group took up our case and put pressure on the British government. At their conference they put me in touch with centre-right parties from Serbia to Sri Lanka and gave me a platform from which to tell the world about what was happening in the Maldives".

The MDP grew out of a grassroots organisation run by volunteer political activists and street campaigners dedicated to the overthrow of Mr Gayoom. As political parties were formally banned until 2005 by Mr Gayoom, the MDP is still quite young in political terms.

From 2006, the Tories sent party members to the islands to help Mr Nasheed campaign.

Mr Spring will be joined by Karen Lumley, the prospective parliamentary candidate for Redditch and Mike Nichols, an activist. During the four-day visit, the delegation will give advice on strategic alliance building, messaging and campaigning in the run up to the election. Mr Spring said: "They deserve our support and they will certainly get it. We want to keep a spotlight on events unfolding in the Maldives."

"I am looking forward to receiving Richard's delegation and formally thanking the Conservative party for all the help they have given me. With their continued assistance I'm sure the MDP will win a handsome victory at the forthcoming elections" Mr Nasheed said.

The visit will also be used to make a plea for British climate change scientists to visit the Maldives to study the effect of rising sea levels. Nowhere on the islands is more than one and a half metres above sea level, and scientists have given warning that the Maldives could disappear completely under the waves in just 150 years' time.

Mr Nasheed is expected to request further British investment to boost the fragile economy of the Maldives, after having already negotiated with a number of British firms, including the telecommunications provider Cable and Wireless.

Last year over 100,000 Britons visited the islands, making them the country's largest single tourist market. However, the Maldives are an expensive holiday destination and as Britain is in recession, numbers this year are predicted to be well below this figure.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Rising sea levels 'could spark conflict over energy and food reserves'

Rising sea levels caused by climate change are threatening to destabilise island nations and spark conflict across the world over energy and food reserves, the Australian military has claimed.

Most parts of the Maldives are just 1.5m above water and the government are struggling to prevent beach erosion. Photo: AP

A report revealed "environmental stress" had increased the risk of conflicts over food and resources in the region. It predicted warmer temperatures would change the location of South East Asian fishing grounds, leading to conflict over fishing rights, and lead to an increase in climate refugees fleeing the Pacific's sinking atolls.

Environmental changes would "reinforce existing concerns regarding land availability, economic development and control over resources", it said, multiplying the threats faced by fragile states and increasing the chance they would fail.

But the biggest threat to global security was the melting Arctic ice caps, which would give rise to a potentially dangerous international race for valuable sea oil and gas deposits, the report said.

"The Arctic is melting, potentially making the extraction of undersea energy deposits commercially viable. Conflict is a remote possibility if these disputes are not resolved peacefully." Climate change has already been linked to the escalating fight for the world's natural resources, including an increasingly precious commodity – dry land.

In November, the newly elected president of the Maldives announced his country would begin to set aside a portion of its billion-dollar annual tourist revenue to buy a new homeland because rising seas were threatening to turn the 300,000 islanders into environmental refugees. Most parts of the Maldives are just 1.5m above water. The UN forecasts that the seas are likely to rise up to 59cm by 2100, due to global warming.

Mohamed Nasheed said the chain of 1,200 islands and coral atolls will be engulfed by the ocean if the current pace of climate change continues to raise sea levels.

But whether Mr Nasheed will be able to find a new home for his citizens is another question.

Resource-hungry nations are already snapping up large tracts of agricultural land in poor Asian and African nations.

High global oil and commodity prices, the biofuels boom and the economic downturn are prompting import-reliant countries to take action to protect their sources of food.

China and South Korea, which are both short on arable land have signed up the rights to swathes of territory in Asia and Africa.

In one of the biggest and most recent deals, South Korea's Daewoo Logistics said it would invest about $6 billion to develop 3.2 million acres (1.3 million hectares) in Madagascar – almost half the size of Belgium.

The report into the effects of climate change by Australia's Defence Force, predicted that disputes over access to scarce food resources could mean increasing the country's navy in the seas to its north.

The report said climate change would "increase demands for the Australian Defence Force to be deployed on additional stabilisation, post-conflict reconstruction and disaster relief operations in the future".

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Amanda Holden starts £28k honeymoon


TV's Amanda Holden has finally jetted off on honeymoon to the Maldives - more than three weeks after she finally married long-term lover Chris Hughes.

Chris, a music producer, first proposed four years ago but the arrival of daughter Alexa put their marriage plans on hold as Amanda wanted her to be a bridesmaid.

And when they did get married on December 10 they delayed their honeymoon so they could enjoy a family Christmas at home with Alexa, who's now two.

It's been worth the wait.

Amanda, 37, and Chris, 33, will have the use of a private butler and a 70ft yacht during their fortnight stay at a £2,000-a-night health spa which is a favourite with A-listers Kate Moss, Tom Cruise and George Clooney.

A friend said: "It's taken Chris four years to get Amanda down the aisle since he proposed, so they decided to go somewhere extra special."

After the wedding, Amanda said: "Chris is my soulmate and Alexa was a wonderful flower girl, although it took lots of chocolate buttons to persuade her."

Amanda and Chris, who have been friends for 10 years, started dating when her first marriage to comedian Les Dennis fell apart in 2002 after her affair with Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey.

The couple got engaged in December 2004 but their plans to wed in 2005 were put on hold after Amanda found out that she was pregnant.

Amanda will be glad of her break in the Maldives as she returns to our screens later this month as a judge on ITV1's Britain's Got Talent.

Source: mirror.co.uk

Paradise lost on Maldives' rubbish island



It may be known as a tropical paradise, an archipelago of 1 200 coral islands in the Indian Ocean. But the traditional image of the Maldives hides a dirty secret: the world's biggest rubbish island.

A few kilometres and a short boat ride from the Maldivian capital, Malé, Thilafushi began life as a reclamation project in 1992. The artificial island was built to solve Malé's refuse problem. But today, with more than 10 000 tourists a week in the Maldives adding their waste, the rubbish island now covers 50 hectares.



So much is being deposited that the island is growing at a square metre a day. There are more than three dozen factories, a mosque and homes for 150 Bangladeshi migrants who sift through the mounds of refuse beneath palm-fringed streets.

Environmentalists say that more than 330 tonnes of rubbish is brought to Thilafushi a day. Most of it comes from Malé, which is one of the world's most densely populated towns: 100 000 people cram into two square kilometres.

Brought on ships, the rubbish is taken onshore and sifted by hand. Some of the waste is incinerated but most is buried in landfill sites. There is, say environmental campaigners, also an alarming rise in batteries and electronic waste being dumped in Thilafushi's lagoon.

"We are seeing used batteries, asbestos, lead and other potentially hazardous waste mixed with the municipal solid wastes being put into the water. Although it is a small fraction of the total, these wastes are a source of toxic heavy metals and it is an increasingly serious ecological and health problem in the Maldives," said Ali Rilwan, an environmentalist in Malé.

Despite the growing crisis, Thilafushi remains largely hidden from view. Nobody goes there apart from workers.

Meanwhile, tourism has made the Maldives the richest country in South Asia in terms of GDP a head -- which is about $4 500 -- though that wealth is thinly spread.

However, almost everything has to be imported. Most tourists can only be catered for by bringing in thousands of tonnes of meat, vegetables and diesel oil every year.

All this produces what many say is an unsustainable amount of waste. Every tourist produces 3,5kg of rubbish and requires 500 litres of water a day. The lack of space means the Maldives is now "exporting junk" to India. "Before, the ships that brought our vegetables from south India used to return empty, but now we are sending them crushed cans, metals, cardboard. They then sort them out and get cash for them," said Rilwan.

Environment issues are a major political issue in the Maldives, not least because its 300 000 people face being the first to be submerged under rising sea levels caused by global warming.

Earlier this month the new president, Mohamed Nasheed, told the Guardian of his radical solution to save his people: put aside some of the Maldives' tourism revenues to buy another homeland. -

Source: guardian.co.uk

Sri Lanka investors wooed by Maldives

The new government in the Maldives, in move to privatize the economy, is looking at selling state-owned businesses and becoming more investor friendly, the Maldivian leader said on a visit to Colombo.

“We come here to open the country for business. We are looking at an ambitious decentralization program. We have some state-owned 'white elephants' that we are looking at offering to Sri Lankan businesses that are interested in investing in Maldives,” said President Mohamed Nasheed.

“The Maldivian government does not want to be the majority share holder when it is privatized.”

Nasheed, who is on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka, told local media that he is inviting existing Sri Lankan investors in the Maldives to diversify their business and move into other areas of the economy in future.

Sri Lankan investments are heavily concentrated in the lucrative high-end hotels sector.

“We are requesting Sri Lankan companies to diversify their business from tourism to power, transport, port, airport and infrastructure. We are looking at investments in social security sectors such as healthcare and education.”

“Galle Face Hotel is investing in an island that has an airstrip. We want them to invest in an airport as the tourists who will come to the resort will need an airport.”

Most Maldivian citizens go to neighboring countries for their education and health needs. Nasheed and former president Abdul Gayoom both received their primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka.

Nasheed said 10 percent of grid electricity capacity in the Maldives is owned by Sri Lankan operators.

Taxing stimulus

Nasheed said in the face of the global financial crisis his government has taken a policy decision not to seek funding assistance but to adopt a private sector stimulus package that would return tax revenues to government coffers.

“We asked the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank not give money to the government as it’s very unproductive,” said Nasheed.

“We prefer to take tax money generated via these investments.”

Maldives is one of the largest exporters of blue fin tuna, a staple diet in high-end markets such as Japan. The other big money-spinner is the tourism sector.

Amidst the global financial crisis, by-end November 2008 over 620,000 tourists had arrived in the Maldives, an increase of 16 percent from 2007. Over 70 percent of the tourists came from Europe.

Sri Lankan hoteliers such as Aitken Spence and John Keells are amongst the largest foreign leisure operators in the tiny atoll nation.

John Keells operates three high-end resorts under the brand name Chaaya and Aitken Spence Hotels operates seven high-end resorts under the Adaaran brand.

Analysts say most hoteliers in Sri Lanka are surviving due to their Maldivian investments.

“The current security and economic situation in the country and the global financial crisis has hit local hotels badly. Already, a few operators who did not invest outside Sri Lankan are in deep trouble,” said Danushka Samarasinghe, research manager at Asia Securities.

“Sri Lanka’s JKH and Aitken Spence has benefited by investing in the Maldivian hotels sector and the recent proposals of the Maldivian government to further liberalize the economy would create opportunities for Sri Lankan corporates to reduce country risks and boost foreign earnings.”

Tangled web

The Maldivian archipelago is a chain of 1,190 small coral islands grouped into 26 atolls and its 1.6 billion dollar economy is dominated by tourism and a thriving fisheries industry.

The former British colony gained independence in 1965 and was an Islamic sultanate till 1968.

Maldives was ruled by President Nasir till 1978. Thereafter former president Abdul Gayoom ruled for the next three decades, the longest serving head of state in the Asian region.

In the 2008 presidential election, Gayoom lost the election amidst corruption charges. Nasheed won with a 54 percent majority to govern the Maldives' 350,000 strong population.

Nasheed, a former journalist, was an outspoken critic of Gayoom’s government.

Much of Nasheed’s election campaign under the Maldivian Democratic Party banner was launched from Colombo as he fearing persecution by Gayoom.

Political analysts say even though Gayoom has vacated the country’s top seat his political cronies are still in important positions.

Nasheed said some of the former government's contracts have been irregular but that he does not want a 'witch hunt'.

Nasheed said his government will be taking a fresh approach to clean up corruption and red tape that’s hindering investment and development of the country.

“We want to be transparent and operate by the book and it will happen,” said Nasheed.

Source: lankabusinessonline.com

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Pakistan announces 5 percent duty cut on SAARC imports

Pakistan on Wednesday announced a five percent reduction in customs tariff on the import of 4,803 items from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives under the Trade Liberalisation Programme (TLP) of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SFATA) agreement.

Despite heightened tension with India, Islamabad has also decided to extend the SAFTA concessions to 1,926 items imported from India, according to a Federal Board of Revenue notification effective from December 31, 2008.

A tariff reduction roadmap for December 2008 to December 2011 has also been announced. Pakistan has not given the Most Favoured Nation status to India so far, and is trading with New Delhi on a Positive List basis despite signing SAFTA. The TLP began in July 2006 in line with Article 7 of SAFTA, under which the tariff on imports from the least-developed countries (LDCs) of SAARC (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Maldives) by non-LDCs (India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) had to be reduced to five percent or less by the end of 2009.

Source: dailytimes.com.pk

Friday, January 2, 2009

U.S. completes tsunami rebuilding projects in Sri Lanka, Maldives

Long-term work helps build economies, improve lives

By Nancy Pontius
Special Correspondent

Washington — Four years ago, the Indian Ocean tsunami swept over coastal lands in Asia and Africa, killing more than 200,000 people, destroying cities and crippling the ability of the remaining millions to survive.

In 2008 in Sri Lanka, the U.S. Agency for International Development completed a new bridge, built and equipped nine vocational schools, rehabilitated three damaged fishing harbors, installed a water supply system and built 87 children's play parks. Scores of additional USAID projects resulted in new and rebuilt schools, libraries and roads.

"Our goal was to build back better than what was there previously," said Rebecca Cohn, USAID's mission director in Sri Lanka.

To ease ethnic tensions in southern and eastern Sri Lanka among communities of Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslims, USAID carefully balanced reconstruction projects to equally benefit all groups, she said.

The recent work capped years of assistance to the country, which began with an immediate response from the U.S. government, American people and private U.S. organizations to provide emergency assistance to local communities recovering from the damage, Cohn said.

Total USAID funding for tsunami relief and reconstruction in Sri Lanka has been more than $134 million, with an additional $3 million for the Republic of Maldives. USAID helped get new water treatment plants into operation in Maldives in 2008.

Private U.S. organizations — including AmeriCares, the Bush Clinton Foundation, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Mellon Foundation, Prudential Insurance Company of America and Chevron-Caltex — provided almost $5 million for reconstruction.

ARUGAM BAY BRIDGE

The new Arugam Bay Bridge unites nearly 45,000 residents of three ethnically diverse communities in Pottuvil, Arugam Bay and Panama, by linking southeastern coastal towns to the rest of the Sri Lankan mainland.

Unexpectedly, because of lights that illuminate the 185-meter (200-yard) bridge at night, "the bridge has become a place for families to socialize in the evenings and an informal community meeting place," Cohn said.

"This is especially significant in a region where rural ethnic villages have remained separate for many years," Lorna Middlebrough, a USAID spokeswoman, told America.gov.

Local residents benefited from the project financially, as USAID hired carpenters, masons and concrete workers from surrounding communities for 80 percent of the work needed to construct the bridge. The bridge will boost the local economy and promote tourism in this area known for its beautiful beaches.

In Sri Lanka, a fisherman weighs his catch in a facility built with the help of the U.S. government at a renovated harbor."People can now cross the large Arugam Bay lagoon safely to be with family, seek out resources, move their rice and agricultural products and be part of the rebuilding of their country in this previously devastated tsunami- and conflict-prone area," said Rick Robertson, a USAID contractor.

VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS

To strengthen the country's economy by training young people in trades, USAID built and equipped nine new vocational schools in eastern and southern Sri Lanka. The schools will teach 16 different skill trades — including masonry, plumbing, welding, apparel, engine repair and computer training — to 2,000 students a year.

According to U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Robert Blake, "Of all the initiatives by the United States to help Sri Lanka recover from the tsunami, promoting vocational training is in many ways our most important project. Training young people in vocational trades will help to provide good paying jobs in the near future and will help boost both family income and the economic health of the districts and of Sri Lanka as a whole."

USAID worked closely with Sri Lankan businesses to determine which trades were in demand and to develop appropriate curricula to ensure the skills acquired by the students fit the needs of the growing economy.

"This approach, along with first-class facilities and equipment, improved the image of vocational training in Sri Lanka and provided a model for the Sri Lankan government to consider in future planning with the private sector," Cohn said.

Most of the new reconstruction projects were built to high environmental standards. One vocational school was the region's first to achieve the "green" building industry's Silver LEED certification of sustainability.

FISHING HARBORS

In July, USAID finalized a $13 million renovation and expansion of three fishing harbors in southern Sri Lanka, boosting the nation's fishing industry and improving the economic outlook for 15,000 families.

Construction projects were designed with community input. While planning harbor renovations, the USAID team met with local fishermen to ensure the facilities would meet their needs, Cohn said. For example, the location of the auction halls and sinks were based on input from those who would use them.

DRINKING WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS

In Maldives, two water plants now operate with reverse osmosis technology to produce clean drinking water from seawater for 9,000 island residents who never before had access to treated water.

In southeastern Sri Lanka, a new water supply, treatment and distribution system opened in November, providing the first-ever treated water supply for 40,000 people.

"Schoolchildren were even filling up buckets of treated water at school to bring the clean water home," Cohn said.

Source: reliefweb.int

Is Parts.com a fake site?, Is there any bank account open for parts.com in Maldives?

I was looking for fairly inexpensive part for my van's door.

They seem to have it, and about a third cheaper than dealer list price.

But I always look for an 'about us' that includes a physical address, so I can see if they will charge tax, (and maybe if they are a 'real' company?).

On the other hand, a website address like 'parts.com' would be fairly expensive and un-likely a cash rich hacker gang would shell out for it. (Tho that money-terrorist Madoff was a total fake and he probably has an expensive website for his ponzi scheme company that sucked $50 billion down the tubes)

There is no place I can find on their website (and yes, I looked at site map) that lists a physical address. And if you don't think this is a problem, there is a website selling windoze computers for a hefty profit preloaded with a specific vendor's ERP software that is probably a stolen illegal copy, they don't have an address listed and are probably out of that major country of a billion that we out-soure so much stuff to.

Ok, my part would probably drop ship from a warehouse but still like to know where the company resides, make sure they are not operating out of a hidden russian hacker gang bank account in the Maldives islands.

Then on main page, I click on 'get 866#' up top.
This comes up with a paragraph that they have taken down the 800# because too many people call it. Well, duh, that's what it's for.

It has the first word spelled wrong also:
(should be 'Due', ok maybe just some outsourced non-native english speakers created the site and couldn't be bothered to actually check their work)

Note: Do to an overwhelming response to Parts.com, we’ve had to upgrade our phone system to accommodate the volume of calls. We have currently pulled the current number down during this upgrade and expect a solution in place by the first of the year. We are providing direct numbers on the order tickets for customers to call directly but will only answer new order question via email. We apologize for any inconvenience experience during this transition and appreciate your business and patronage.

The only other minor scary thing, was a diagram showing my part (which I selected for REAR side door) has the #s mixed up on the diagram, pointing to the FRONT door.

Anyone ordered car parts from this place?
Any problems? The parts.com site doesn't inspire confidence for the reasons I've listed above.
Do you think this type of bank accounts can be open in Maldives?

Source: techrepublic.com.com

Maldives president on two-day visit to Sri Lanka

The President of the Maldives Mohammed Nasheed arrived in Colombo Friday for a two-day official visit, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Nasheed is to call on his counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa later in the evening for bilateral talks while a meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka is scheduled for Saturday.

He will also meet with the local business community before leaving on Sunday morning. It is his first visit to Sri Lanka after taking office in November.

Nasheed, 41, a former political prisoner, was elected president October, replacing Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who ruled the country since 1978.

The two island nations maintain close relations.

Source: monstersandcritics.com

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Chinese Ambassador pays farewell call on Foreign Minister

Chinese Ambassador accredited to Maldives Ye Dabo paid a farewell call on Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheedon Wednesday.

During the call at the Foreign Ministry Minister Shaheed praised the contribution of the Ambassador in strengthening diplomatic and friendly ties between the Maldives and China. Minister Shaheed also conveyed his gratitude to the Government of the People’s Republic of China for its continued assistance towards the development of Maldives.

Minister Shaheed further said that his recent visit to China was very valuable and it gave him immense pleasure to meet the Maldivian students who are studying medicine in China. Minister concluded by saying that the Maldives will continue to enhance the close bilateral relations between the two countries.

Ambassador Dabo took the opportunity to reaffirm China’s continued support for the Maldives, and thanked the Government of the Maldives for its continuous support for the one China policy and the Olympic Games held in China this summer.

Source: miadhu.com.mv