President describes giving airport to GMR as an “economic crime”

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has described the awarding of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) to the Indian company GMR as an economic crime.

The President made the description speaking at a special function held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).

President Yameen said that after the airport was given to the GMR Company, only MVR 16 million came to the airport as a concession fee.

The President said that MVR 1 billion was made in the year that MACL took over the full management of the airport from GMR.

Criticizing the handover of the airport by the government of Ex-President Nasheed, President Yameen said that by economic standards, it was an economic crime.

“If this is not an economic crime then (I) don’t know what would be an economic crime: 16 million Ruffiya, One billion Ruffiya. What is the difference? 984 million Ruffiya. There is no bigger economic crime than this. This is also a step taken by a state. This was a decision made by a state, and was all agreed upon.” President Yameen said.

President Yameen said that while the profit has been increased from MVR 16 million to MVR 1 billion, the hope is to bring it in with USD.