MP: MITDC was created to steal and should be dissolved

MP for South Henveyru Mr. Hussain Shaheem has said that the Maldives Integrated Development Corporation (MITDC) was created to steal and should be dissolved. 

His comments came after the heads of MITDC were summoned to a meeting of the parliament’s State-Owned Enterprises Committee on Wednesday.

During the meeting, MP Shaheem said that he had noticed that the purpose of MITDC was to repeat and hide the unlawful actions of MMPRC. He also asked the heads of MITDC whether they thought his theory was accurate.

MP Shaheem then berated the policies of MITDC by saying that these policies were completely against the local tourism policies of the MDP administration that were intended to increase the income of the ordinary and common citizens.

“The local tourism policy will be destroyed if lands that measure up to 10,000 feet are leased for USD 33,000. The tourism policy that is focused on developing local islands will be destroyed,” said Shaheem.

Mr. Shaheem also targeted the conduct of MITDC by questioning how the corporation was linked to fireworks machines and new year celebrations and whether these things were in the company’s mandate. He also said that MITDC was a corporation that should never have been founded and the only purpose of introducing MITDC was to steal.

MITDC should not be dissolved: MD Raaidh

Responding to the questions of committee members, Managing Director of MITDC Mr. Mohamed Raaidh stated that he did not believe that MITDC was created to hide the actions of MMPRC. “This is a more joyful company. Another company’s conducts do not have to affect us in any way,” Said Mr. Raaidh. He also said that the company will not bleed for long and that there was a plan to make the company self-sufficient. 

Mr. Raaidh also stated in the meeting that the company was built to fit into the local tourism plan and that there was a need for establishing auxiliary services and that there was a plan to establish Integrated Tourism Facilities on different islands.

Baresdhoo project to Jausa Construction for 15 million

MITDC had leased Laamu Atoll’s Baresdhoo island to Jausa Construction for a tourism development project costing MVR 15 million, but the company has not carried out any works on the island so far, according to Mr. Raaidh. However, he stopped short of blaming Jausa for the paralysis of the project.

He also explained that they had asked Jausa for details of how the funds were spent and that they had not received an answer as of yet. “The only work carried out on the island is the construction of an MWSC water plant,” said Mr. Raaidh.

Mr. Raaidh then spoke of the misdeeds carried out during President Yameen’s administration and that MITDC had become a company for money laundering during that time.

“While the Tourism Ministry had gained USD 2.36 million as CSR from 14 resorts, there couldn’t spend it then. However, they had companies such as MITDC under them. The Tourism Ministry took money from resorts as CSR and deposited it to MITDC accounts. The money was not part of our budget and was not taken by us” said Mr. Raaidh.

Mr. Raaidh then stated that he had identified those actions as money laundering and sent the cases to the Anti-Corruption Commission. Mr. Raaidh also stated in the meeting that MITDC had received MVR 2.36 million as CSR and that the funds were being spent on 21 different projects. MITDC was created in 2016 during President Yameen’s administration.