No change to stand on GMR: Government

Maldives government’s stand on the GMR compensation issue remains unchanged, President’s Office Spokesperson has said.

The statement follows SMS messages and social media posts being circulated saying that the government has agreed to pay MVR 878 million, in addition to 37 uninhabited islands and Hanimaadhoo Airport to GMR, as compensation for the premature annulment of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) agreement in November 2012.

Spokesperson at the President’s Office Ibrahim Muaz Ali told Sun Online today that the government would not pay compensation to GMR before the matter is settled by the arbitration court in Singapore.

He said the government of Maldives has not, at any point, discussed the matter with the government of India and that there is no pressure from the Indian government regarding the compensation issue.

“Government’s stand on the GMR issue has not changed. The messages being circulated are not true,” Muaz said.

Indian infrastructure giant GMR said in April that it will not change its compensation claim of $1.4 billion from the Maldivian government. The assertion followed a statement by President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom that Maldives will try to reduce the compensation amount.

The Bangalore-based company's contract was annulled by former president Dr Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik, whose government alleged irregularities in the bidding process through which GMR had won the airport's operation.