Governor Munawar asks for closed-door meeting to discuss USD crunch

The meeting between the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) to discuss the USD crunch in the Maldives took place between closed doors on Monday morning, at the request of Governor Ahmed Munawar.

Before barring the press from the meeting, the committee’s deputy chair, Eydhafushi MP Ahmed Saleem (Redwave Saleem), a senior parliamentarian from the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), announced that Munawar had asked to have the meeting held behind closed doors.

 The request was objected to by Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, a parliamentarian from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), who opinioned that the whole meeting should not be held given closed doors given the high level of public interest in the USD situation.

However, Funadhoo MP Mohamed Mamdhooh Yunus, a parliamentarian from PNC, presented a motion to hold a closed-door meeting. The motion was seconded by fellow PNC parliamentarian, South Henveiru MP Ahmed Aifan, and passed by majority vote of the committee, in which the ruling party holds a clear majority.

The shortage in US dollars has led to the black market rate for USD soaring above MVR 20, as frustrations mount over Munawar’s seeming silence over the issue.

MDP’s parliamentary had sent a letter on July 16 seeking a meeting with Munawar to discuss concerns over the soaring USD rate in the black market.

However, MDP has said that they have not received a response and have repeatedly gone to the MMA headquarters seeking a meeting.

But they have yet to be granted one with Munawar.

The USD crunch has been blamed on the rise in prices of essential commodities, including basic food products.