Majority shareholder of companies allowed to manage airport must be government, states new bill

A bill has been submitted to the parliament, to determine that the majority of the shares of companies which are allowed to manage Ibrahim Nasir International Airport must be held by the government. The bill also states that no part of the airport may be leased such that the government has no authority over the transaction.

The bill was submitted to the parliament today by Maavah MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakuru. The bill was first introduced to the parliament when Ibrahim Nasir International Airport was being managed by Indian company GMR.

Abdul Azeez said while presenting the bill to the parliament that the purpose of the bill is to ensure that all airports in the country are managed by companies in which majority shares are held by local companies.

He stressed that the doorway to the economy of the Maldives must always be controlled by Maldivians, and said that the airport being managed by Maldivian companies would also facilitate employment opportunities and ensure independence for Maldivians.

Article 5 of the bill states that 65 percent of the employees of the airport must be Maldivians, and that the Transport Ministry must monitor the management of the airport to ensure that it is operated according to the law and regulations. It also obligates the Auditor General to submit an annual audit report of the airport to relevant ministries.