Changes have been made to the accreditation guidelines for higher education programs. In an announcement by the Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA), it was stated that a second amendment was made on December 2, 2024, to the “Guideline for Program Accreditation” published on May 16, 2022.

In this amendment, under section 3.1 “Assessment and Evaluation Process” of the guideline, it is now mandatory to pass each component included in the 50% controlled assessment. Such assessments must be conducted as specified in the guideline. In connection with this change, the Authority has instructed higher education institutions to implement this change in accordance with previously approved programs and accredited programs, effective from the date of publication in the Government Gazette.

The Authority has publicly announced and declared this change, stating that it is important to inform higher education institutions, students, and the general public. MQA has previously warned that action will be taken against institutions that conduct courses in violation of MQA accreditation.

Such complaints can be submitted to the Authority’s [email protected], as well as to the Ministry of Higher Education, Labor and Skills Development through the Ministry’s form “Form for Requesting Review of Complaints Regarding Higher Education and Training Institutions” via [email protected].

It is an aim of this government to improve the quality of higher education in the Maldives and to make the country’s universities places where foreign students come to study. Therefore, the Ministry continues to work on improving the quality of higher education in the Maldives.

Velana International Airport (VIA) has exported 1,000 tons of cargo through its Sea-to-Air cargo transshipment service. MACL, which operates VIA, stated that with Virgin Atlantic joining the service today, a total of 12 airlines are now participating in the Sea-to-Air cargo service. MACL said that new airlines joining this service will further expand VIA’s cargo operations.

The Sea-to-Air cargo service is an initiative started by MACL to safely and quickly transport goods brought by sea through MPL to desired destinations by air. The service, which began in May this year, has mainly exported garment shipments imported to the Maldives by sea from Bangladesh. The airlines currently providing the service include Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Aeroflot, Neos, Gulf Air, Discover Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Condor, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic.

MACL stated that with the Sea-to-Air cargo service, VIA’s cargo operations have further expanded, and VIA’s share in the global cargo connectivity logistics chain will strengthen MACL’s contribution to the Maldivian economy.

The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has clarified that they do not provide $1,000 as aid at any time. They also stated that if such an amount was given by the previous government, there are no records or system entries to confirm it. NSPA made this statement to clarify the facts to the public in response to circulating stories claiming that the previous government gave $1,000 in aid, while the current government is providing less.

NSPA stated that a tweet claiming they didn’t provide assistance to a cancer patient is false and defames their employees. According to their system, the person in question has applied for Aasandha and welfare assistance 9 times in total, and help was provided each time.

The first application was made in May 2023, and 3,855 rufiyaa was approved as financial assistance under the welfare case. Subsequently:

[The translation then lists the dates and details of assistance provided, as in the original text]

NSPA emphasized that they have provided assistance within the existing guidelines each time the person applied. Except for the reimbursement of a self-purchased ticket, the financial aid given each time was equivalent to $200-250 in Maldivian rufiyaa. They stressed that there are no records or system entries showing a $1,000 payment at any time.

Meeting with the person who tweeted

NSPA reported that they met today with the person who made the tweet, along with senior officials and the relevant committee. The assistance details were reviewed in the person’s presence using NSPA’s systems, and the individual agreed on the accuracy of the information and “confessed” to its authenticity.

However, as the tweet and the person in the meeting repeatedly claimed receiving $1,000 during the previous government, when questioned about this, the person stated, “To expedite the case, I called the senior official who was managing Aasandha at the time. Afterwards, a young person called and asked me to come. When I went, they made me sign an A4-sized paper and handed over that amount.”

NSPA stated that there are no records or entries in any of the agency’s systems showing the $1,000 payment the person claims to have received then. The person also agreed that they don’t have any documentation related to this.

Therefore, NSPA concluded that if any money was disbursed without proper documentation, it would be an act contrary to the aid approval procedures, standards, and outside the aid distribution system.”

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has ratified the Urban Development Bill tonight. This bill was passed in the People’s Majlis session held on the 27th of last month. In today’s parliamentary session, 70 members voted in favor of passing the bill, while 11 members voted against it.

The main purpose of this bill is to establish a robust legal framework for designating urban areas in the Maldives and regulating the development of such areas. It aims to define urban areas, zones, categories, and land use, as well as set basic standards for developing and managing these areas. The bill also outlines procedures for monitoring and taking action on development projects in urban areas.

Under the Urban Development Act, the President, with the advice of the Cabinet, will determine the national policy for designating and developing urban areas in the Maldives. The responsibility for implementing these policies is assigned to the government ministry currently in charge of implementing urban development policies, which is presently the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development.

Upon the enactment of this law, an ‘Urban Development Authority’ will be established as a government agency. This authority will be responsible for preparing Urban Area Development Master Plans for designated urban areas, issuing development permits to developers, and coordinating development activities in these areas. The Urban Development Authority will operate under the ministry responsible for implementing urban development policies.

The process of terminating the agreement between Maldives Media House and the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has begun. In a statement released today by NSPA, it was stated that as the ‘Mukai Suites’ building operated by the agency has been ordered to be vacated for renovations, the Ministry of Finance opened a tender to find a new location for the agency to operate. Following the established rules and procedures, the contract was awarded, and floors of the building obtained for operations were leased from Maldives Media House.

Regarding this transaction, the statement said that due to the spread of false information through various media outlets, aimed at devaluing and defaming the company, which has caused significant material and moral damage to the company, they have proposed to terminate the agreement. “Therefore, after consulting with the Ministry of Finance regarding this matter, this agency has decided to terminate the agreement,” the NSPA statement said.

The NSPA statement said that further necessary transactions related to this matter and the procedures to be completed after terminating the agreement are being carried out under the guidance of the Ministry of Finance. Following the agreement between NSPA and Maldives Media House, media outlets have been alleging that the place was leased to operate ‘MM TV’ and that NSPA has been paying the rent for it.

President’s Office Spokesperson Heena Waleed has stated that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has not decided to make any changes to the Cabinet. Heena made this statement in response to discussions circulating on social media.

President Muizzu last made changes to the Cabinet on September 30th. At that time, Dr. Abdullah Khaleel was appointed as Foreign Minister, Moosa Zameer as Finance Minister, and Abdullah Nazim as Health Minister.

The ministerial positions were changed following the resignation of the previous Finance Minister, Dr. Mohamed Shafeeq. The government has not yet disclosed the reason for his resignation.

Abdullah Nasheed (Kaani Abdullah), CEO of Kaani Hotels and President of the National Hotels and Guesthouses Association (NHGAM), has praised the bill being prepared by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) to further strengthen the regulation requiring resorts and guesthouses to convert a certain amount of their dollar earnings through banks.

The MMA, in collaboration with relevant institutions, is working on drafting a Foreign Currency Bill to strengthen foreign exchange matters. The main purpose of the bill is to reinforce the provisions stated in the foreign currency regulation that came into effect on October 1st. According to the bill published by MMA, Category A establishments, which include tourist resorts, integrated resorts, private islands, and resort hotels, must deposit and convert to rufiyaa $500 per tourist for the total number of tourists arrived that month.

For Category B establishments, which include tourist hotels, guesthouses, and tourist vessels, the regulation requires depositing and converting to rufiyaa $25 per tourist for the total number of tourists arrived that month. In a post on X regarding the bill, Kani Abdullah stated that he supports the requirement for guesthouses and hotels on local islands to convert $25 per tourist.

“It will bring many benefits to the island residents, create numerous jobs, expand businesses, and fishermen will be able to sell their catch to hotels,” he told in an interview given to online news website Vaguthu. He has previously stated that limiting foreign investors and retaining foreign currency in banks is crucial for the Maldivian economy.

The amendments to the taxes and fees collected from individuals departing from Maldivian airports to foreign destinations have come into effect today. These bills were passed by the People’s Majlis on October 31st. The President ratified the bill on November 5th.

Changes to Departure Tax introduced by the government:

Economy Class: Maldivians $12, Foreigners $50
Business Class: Maldivians $120, Foreigners $120
First Class: Maldivians $240, Foreigners $240
Private Jet: Maldivians $480, Foreigners $480

Changes to Airport Development Fee:

Economy Class: Maldivians $12, Foreigners $50
Business Class: Maldivians $120, Foreigners $120
First Class: Maldivians $240, Foreigners $240
Private Jet: Maldivians $480, Foreigners $480

The government has also decided to increase the Green Tax and TGST to 17 percent. The changes to the Green Tax will come into effect from January 2025. The decision to increase TGST to 17 percent will be implemented from July 2025.

As Dr. Aishath Rameela has resigned today from the position of Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources due to health reasons, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has temporarily assigned the Minister of Higher Education and Skills Development, Dr. Mariyam Mariya, to oversee the ministry until a new appointment is made. The President’s Office announced today that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has accepted Dr. Aishath Rameela’s resignation from the position of Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare due to her health condition.

During her one-year tenure, Rameela has achieved numerous successes. Under her supervision, a pilot project for vertical farming was initiated to introduce modern agriculture to the Maldives, and a pet care facility was established in Male’ to provide a safe environment for cats. The ministry also introduced modern agricultural tools to farmers in the islands and introduced new plant varieties under Rameela’s guidance. Additionally, special training programs were conducted for farmers, and technical assistance and loans were provided to them.

Before her appointment as minister, Rameela had served as State Minister at the Ministry of Health. She had also served as State Minister at the Ministry of Gender. Previously, she had held the position of Dean at Avid College.