A submarine fibre-optic cable connection linking Laamu and Gaaf Dhaal Atolls was opened by telecommunications company, Dhiraagu, last Thursday.Gaaf Dhaal, one of the southern most atolls in the country is now connected with the national network. Dhiraagu says the cable has “overcome… the biggest challenge in providing uniform communication in the country.”
Speaking at the opening, Minister of Transport and Communications Mohamed Saeed, welcomed the developmental opportunities the cable would provide for Maldivians in the southern atolls.
This is the third and final phase of Dhiraagu’s submarine cable network which has been under construction since early 2006. In December 2006, an international cable connecting the Maldives with Sri Lanka was opened, and soon after connections were established between Malé, Hulhumale and Kaafu Villingilli in Malé Atoll.
The overall budget for the project has been US $27 million. Dhiraagu says the national cable network, “will greatly assist in the integration of the rapidly developing Maldivian economy … and will result in superior services and minimal charges both locally and internationally for all Dhiraagu customers.”
Last month Dhiraagu announced substantial cuts in pre-paid calls. The company attributes these cuts as well as reductions in internet and other telephone services to the new cable network.
Addu to export fish
The Maldives Industrial Fishing Company (MIFCO) has announced it will begin exporting fish from Addu atoll.
Previous attempts have been undermined by the comparatively high freight costs for Addu. It costs $4,600 to send a twenty foot container to the Mediterranean from Addu, working out to more than $350 per ton of fish.
An initial freight of six containers will leave Addu on 29 May with buyers expected to be found in Europe. Limited supply of electricity at Hithadhoo harbour in Addu means six containers is currently the maximum. But MIFCO hopes Hithadhoo will soon have the capacity to export forty containers in a single batch.
Dharavandhoo To Get Airport
Dharavandhoo in Malosmadulu Atoll in the north of the country will be one of ten islands to be given regional airports this year,
The government is committed to building ten regional airports to improve the Maldives’ internal network, and five islands have already been publicly identified. Planning Minister Hamdhun Hameed revealed to a meeting of Dharavandhoo islanders on Friday that their island would be the sixth.
Hameed said construction work would start as soon as possible, and the airport is scheduled to be completed in two years.
Housing Ministry To Consult On Policy
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development will begin a public consultation later this month as part of plans to agree a formal policy on housing.
Minister Ibrahim Rafeeq has admitted to Haveeru that the government do not yet have a formal housing policy, which is needed to ensure the housing budget is passed by parliament.
A draft housing policy has been drawn up with technical assistance from the UN Housing Agency, HABITAT. The Ministry will now use workshops with a cross section of society and online methods to gauge the public views.
“Public consultations can be a time consuming and expensive process. As many [Maldivians] now have internet access, comments sent through the web can help save time,” Rafeeq told Haveeru.
Police Net Huge Drugs Haul
The police have seized 281 packets of suspected drugs from a boat travelling from Malé to South Huvadhu Atoll.
Acting on a tip off from a member of the public, police boarded the vessel just before 9am on Friday. In a statement, police said they have seized, “280 packets suspected to be heroin, and 1 packet suspected to be hashish.”
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