PCB warns action against illegal disposal of documents

Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB) has warned it will take legal action against state-owned enterprises and subsidiaries found to have disposed of official documents in violation of the law.

In a statement on Wednesday, the PCB said that according to the National Archives Act, state institutions and state-owned enterprises must inform the director general of national archives if they wish to dispose of official documents, photos, charts, records or information.

And the documents must be disposed of in accordance with the law, said the PCB.

PCB warned state-owned enterprises against to comply with the law, and urged board members and management to ensure that documents are disposed of in accordance with laws and regulations.

The statement comes after Fuel Supplies Maldives (FSM) – a subsidiary of the State Trading Organization (STO) – was found to have destroyed official documents without consulting with the director general of National Archives.

A video posted on social media shows the company putting piles of documents into a cement mixer.

National Archives has stated they will submit a formal complaint with the police over the issue.

FSM responded that the documents seen on the video were old and of no use.