Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Maldives doesn't need to depend on fuel imports, if you have the creativity to generate alternatives to fossil fuels

By: Mohamed Sanih - Rayyithu Meeha

1) Create alternatives to fuel dependancy, solar panels is one for electricity

2) Use of Ocean Currents & Waves to generate power e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_current_power
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/aqua-turbine

3) Conduct feasibility studies and brain storms to find the best alternatives to fossil fuels or fuel imports from abroad, to widen the government policy to create more self sufficient models in the Maldives, so we're less likely be affected from external shocks,  or changes in international markets.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

How every Maldivian can be rich? How every islander can benefit from resorts?

If from each atoll 5 islands were given to be developed as resorts and the income / revenue of this is benefiting directly to the islanders in these atolls (and not collected by the central government), then the whole of Maldives, will be developed and every Maldivian will be rich...not just money in the hands of a few individuals, who want all the resorts and islands to themselves...05 islands is not much for each atoll comparatively, as the Maldives has nearly, 1,192 islands...This is a good concept of an idea, which i propose, but i have not undertaken a feasibility study, to see, how many resorts will actually be required.

Also, the Gini coefficient is very high in Maldives...for those who doesn't know what a Gini coefficient is commonly used as a measure of inequality of income or wealth.

Also, GDP per capita one of the highest in south asia is in the Maldives. GDP per capita as per Wikipedia is USD 5,973 (2011 estimate)

What does GDP per capita mean?
GDP = Gross Domestic Product
per capita = per person
This means - the average amount that the country produces per citizen.

The government think we're dumb, stupid, uneducated bunch of fools, but it's time the business men and government re-think their policies, towards the benefit of the common man.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldives
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_islands_of_the_Maldives
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient

Thursday, April 10, 2014

No amount of tax or money collected will be utilized properly by the Government ...unless you understand how to manage cashflow

No amount of tax or money collected will be utilized properly by the Government ...unless you understand how to manage cashflow, control corruption and control unnecessary wastage of public funds....

The tax we pay should be utilized properly, the spending of such public funds should be done in a transparent and accountable manner, which a layman can also understand...

Monday, April 7, 2014

Maldives MPs Exorbitant Salaries

The exorbitant pay hike that parliamentarians voted themselves is despite the Maldives’ crippling budget deficit of over US$370 million, Minivan News reported.

The news reported quoted a comparative list currently being circulated by protestors on the Majlis Membarunge Musaara Bodu kurumaa Dhekolhah’ Face book group lobbying against the recently-passed MP Privileges Bill.

“According to the comparison, an Indian MP earns US$5966 per month, a French MP US$6651 and an Italian MP US$6936,” it reported.

If the bill were ratified in its current state, a Maldivian MP would earn just US$215 a month less than MPs in Sweden, one of the world’s most highly developed economies and ranked ninth in the United Nations’ Human Development Index. The Maldives ranked 86th.

However, the Majlis MPs have voted themselves a total monthly salary increase from US$4863 to US$7083 (including base salary and allowances of $US1667), despite the country having a crippling budget deficit of over US$370 million, it said.

MPs were seeking to raise their salaries and allowances at a time when the country was in a “very critical economic situation”, and under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to drastically cut the wage bill for civil servants and independent institutions, Ahmed Adheeb, a private sector financial consultant was quoted as saying in Minivan News.

“I hope the President does not ratify it, for the sake of the country,” he said, suggesting that neither parliament or the independent institutions had performed to a standard befitting a substantial pay increase in a climate of economic catastrophe.

“Parliament and independent institutions are trying to give themselves increased pay and benefits without justifying what the country is getting in return – for instance, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has not concluded a case since 2008,” he noted.

“We haven’t had an Auditor General appointed for over a year. Banks are investing in T-bills and bonds because they feel they are more secure, and so they are giving loans to the private sector. The Maldive Monetary Authority (MMA)’s foreign exchange reserve is falling. Everyone, including the IMF, has agreed we are in bad shape.”

While the deficit had improved to 16 percent of GDP, this was in part due to several “once-off” income events such as the US$78 million upfront payment from Indian infrastructure giant GMR, he added according to Minivan News.

DRP MP Rozaina Adam, who voted in favour of the MP Privileges Bill has told Minivan News that the party had a whip line “and most MPs wanted to pass it”.

She argued that the figure of Rf 62,500 (US$4883) commonly given as the MPs salary “is not our full salary – it includes our living allowances, phone bills, secretariat, travel.”

In the Maldives an MP’s salary “is also seen as a welfare fund by many people. If anything goes wrong, constituents go to their MPs. It has been like this for a long time now, and I feel we need to move out of it – these are things that are supposed to be done by the government, but it has been a tradition for a long time to ask MPs,” she said justifying the pay hike.

MP’s salaries compared :

Maldives

MP’s monthly salary (US $):7,083
(Base Salary: 5,416 & Allowance: 1,667)
GDP (US $) (2009 est): 1.683 billion
Current Account Balance (US $) (2009 est): -$370 million

Sri Lanka

MP’s monthly salary (US $):877
Plus Rs 500 for every parliamentary session
GDP (US $) (2009 est): 96.47 billion
Current Account Balance (US $) (2009 est):-$291 million

India

MP’s monthly salary (US $):5,966
GDP (US $) (2009 est):3.68 trillion
Current Account Balance (US $) (2009 est):-$26.63 billion

Singapore

MP’s monthly salary (US $):9,264
GDP (US $) (2009 est):251.2 billion
Current Account Balance (US $) (2009 est):32.63 billion

UK

MP’s monthly salary (US $):8,552
GDP (US $) (2009 est):2.123 trillion
Current Account Balance (US $) (2009 est):-$23.65 billion

US

MP’s monthly salary (US $):14,500
GDP (US $) (2009 est):14.12 trillion
Current Account Balance (US $) (2009 est):-$378.4 billion

Australia

MP’s monthly salary (US $):9,687
GDP (US $) (2009 est):321.6 billion
Current Account Balance (US $) (2009 est):8.73 billion

France

MP’s monthly salary (US $):6,651
GDP (US $) (2009 est):2.094 trillion
Current Account Balance (US $) (2009 est):-$51.86 billion

Italy

MP’s monthly salary (US $):6,936
GDP (US $) (2009 est):1.737 trillion
Current Account Balance (US $) (2009 est):-$66.2 billion

Sweden

MP’s monthly salary (US $):7,298
GDP (US $) (2009 est):335.1 billion
Current Account Balance (US $) (2009 est):30.23 billion

http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/01/13/maldivian-parliamentarians-earn-salaries-par-sweden

http://minivannews.com/politics/privileges-bill-will-see-maldivian-mps-earning-on-par-with-sweden-14997

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Cause of all Evil, Drugs, Gangs and Corruption...Follow the Money...who gets:

The cause of all evil, drugs, gangs and corruption...follow the money...who gets:

To take this into a simplified perspective or example:

Let's take an average Maldivian who earns MRF.15,000 per month, with no additional sources of revenue and , doesn't do business. And if occasionally per month he is receiving amounts of  MRF. 50,000 or MRF. 100,000 or MRF 1,000,000 this seriously calls into question where he is earning this money and how he is getting this money?

1) How much per month? (is it earned legally or illegally)
2) How does he earn this income? (without working or doing a job, or having a business; does the government have a means or measure of tracking such things)?
3) Is he getting this money from selling drugs?
4) Is he getting this money from business men by selling deals under the table as a member of parliament?
5) Is he getting this money from selling propaganda media?
6) Is he getting this money from buying votes or selling votes?
7) Is he getting this money by involving with foreign mafia?
8) Is he getting this money from international terrorists?

Just a few questions which pops into my mind, when think about these type of things...

No money can be hidden...all financial transactions has to go through an account whether international or local...proper, measure and control, evaluation, cross checking, auditing of fraudulent or misleading financial transactions...with the corporation of international corporations and countries will ensure crimes & drugs in this country is reduced...

Unless such person have all their cash in a room at their house :-), which is highly unlikely.....