Emergency motion over diesel shortage rejected

An emergency motion submitted to the Parliament on Wednesday morning regarding the diesel shortage in Maldives has been rejected.

The motion was submitted by Faresmaathoda MP Hussain Mohamed Latheef (Senbe), a politician from opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

Hussain, in his emergency motion, said Fuel Supplies Maldives (FSM) was facing difficulties in importing diesel, leading to a shortage of diesel available in the market for basic needs.

He said that fishermen and boats that operate in the tourism sector were facing a shortage in diesel, which threatened to halt the Maldivian economy.

While Hussain claimed in his motion that FSM was involved in importing fuel into Maldives, fuel is imported into Maldives by the State Trading Organization (STO). FSM, a STO subsidiary, is involved in distributing fuel within Maldives.

In his motion, Hussain also urged the government to monitor the shocks to the global fuel market, and pay importance to importing fuel products needed in Maldives in advance.

The bill was rejected after only eight parliamentarians voted in favor of accepting the bill, while 44 voted to reject the bill.