Maldives: Bill to reclaim land given out for political motives
Hulhuhenveyru MP and MDP parliamentary group leader, has claimed that a bill is being prepared to be submitted to the People’s Majlis to reclaim land plots handed out by the previous regime for political purposes in Male’
Talking on the Customs Bill which is being debated in the Majlis he claimed that he will soon submit a bill which will be beneficial to the Customs, which will make sure that all land handed out by the previous regime to score political points is reclaimed by the government and be used for public good instead.
Moosa claimed that the previous regime had handed out plots of land to officials in the previous regime to appease them and such land plots handed out unfairly are still being used by them for private purposes while the public are in desperate need for land and housing in the capital city of Male’
He further said that the present government has not stooped to the level of the previous regime and do as they did in the past, and said that the former regime of the country routinely gave out plots of land from the reclaimed area to anyone who is given a official post in the government, even if they have never lived in male’, while the public were robbed of their land in the process.
He also alleged that the Customs need to investigate such land plots and see if proper import duties were paid if any materials were imported for the construction of buildings in such plots of land.
MP Moosa also said that long gone are the days when fish caught in certain “Economic Zones” of the Maldives were being exported routinely without knowledge of the customs and without paying the required taxes and fees for such exports, by ministers in the previous regime using their political power. He also implied that such “Economic Zones” were tools used to facilitate such crimes.
MP Moosa added that he is surprised by the political rhetoric ranted by such corrupt figures like the Trade Minister in the previous regime, who are highlighting the failures of the current customs officials, while actions of the customs officials who facilitated such crimes in the previous regime were never investigated and had never been even spoke of.
Moosa claimed that the government will run even without the ministers just like it ran a few months back – referring to the resignation en mass of the cabinet ministers – and said that if the corrupt officials of the previous regime stop to think about their own actions in the previous regime, it would not be hard to see a big picture, while discussing such a bill, referring to the customs bill which is currently being debated, which he claimed will rob the powers of appointed ministers.
Source: Miadhu News 8-19-10