Tourism Ministry team to visit Kudarah and Alidhoo to take over the islands

The Ministry of Tourism has decided to send teams to Alif Dhaalu Kudarah and Haa Alifu Alidhoo to take over the two islands.

An official of the ministry told Sun Online that a team will depart to Kudarah today, and efforts are ongoing to send a team to Alidhoo today as well.

“According to the agreement with Kudarah, the island should be handed over immediately when the team visits the island after the agreement is terminated. According to the agreement with Alidhoo, the transfer should be finalised within seven days of the ministry’s visit to the island,” he said.

He said that according to the Tourism Act, the management of resorts must be opened to a bidding process if the agreement expires or is terminated.

He did not indicate when Kudarah and Alidhoo will be opened for bidding again.

The government terminated the agreements with the two islands, which are operated by a company in which Kaashidhoo MP Abdullah Jabir is a shareholder, last Tuesday. The islands had been given notice on two occasions after they failed to pay rent and fines.

The government has never in the past terminated an agreement with a resort for failure to pay rent and fines.