Investment Forum:
Maldives will link rest of the globe with South Asia: President

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has said that the projects unveiled at the Maldives Investment Forum in Singapore are designed to position Maldives to take advantage of its strategic location as a hub and gateway for commerce, innovation and creativity, linking the rest of the globe with South Asia.

The President made this remark while speaking at the ceremony to inaugurate the Maldives Investment Forum in Marina Bay Sands Hotel Singapore today.

He said that the government is committed to bringing the necessary reforms to the economic sector facilitate economic transformation, a key pledge of his government.

“The projects launched today seek to engage private investors in the delivery of key pieces of infrastructure critical to effect national level transformative economic vision. It will indeed play a catalytic role in sustaining our growth, diversifying the economy and creating employment for youth population.”

The President noted that many long-time investors and senior business personalities in Maldives were present the forum, and said that their commitment to and participation in the forum gave the government comfort and confidence that the economic and trade policy it has pursued was heading in the right direction.

“We hope the presence of eminent long time investors and their success will spur interest and encourage other new investors to consider Maldives as a destination for future investments.”

The President said that as a growing small economy, the economic vision of the Maldives is to become a resilient, diversified high income economy in the next decade, and that foreign investments and private sector engagement is a key ingredient and pathway to achieve this goal.

“The Maldives is entering a new phase of development. As a small, forward-looking middle-income developing country, we are transitioning into a stable and mature democracy. Building on decades of sustained and stable economic growth, we have embarked on an ambitious economic agenda to transform the economy. The transformative change envisions active engagement of private sector. As a growing small economy, our economic vision is to become a resilient, diversified high income economy in the next decade. We believe foreign investments and private sector engagement is a key ingredient and pathway to achieve this goal.

“This forum is a manifestation of the government’s desire to engage with private investors. This is a beginning of the series of events to continue and sustain a proactive dialogue with the international business community. We are committed, to explore openings for increasing foreign investment flows to non-traditional sectors to lift Maldives beyond the image of a 'picturesque postcard'.”