Only Baresdhoo agreement was terminated- Agriculture

Ministry of Agriculture has stated that the government has given notice to 60 companies who were given islands under lease agreements however only Baresdhoo was revoked.

In a press conference held yesterday, Deputy Minister Khurshid Thaufeeg said that the decision on revoking the Bareshoo agreement was not made by the ministry but the ministry only implemented an order that came from the President’s Office. He said that Baresdhoo was not really revoked but the lease period came to an end.

Khurshid noted that the works on the island cannot continue without dredging the shallow. He said that it was the ministry who make the EIA reports.

In the press conference, Khurshid said that the company was given the permit to make the harbor however no works were commenced.

Meanwhile, government gave the permit for Villa to develop the harbor of Baresdhoo after 7 years of lease payment with a payment of MVR 300000 per month.

Government revoked the agreement with Villa to develop Baresdhoo on the claims that there have been no investment by Villa on the island although Villa has already invested more than MVR 40 million.

Gasim said that Villa has faced all losses in the Baresdhoo mega project. He said that this is because the government has not been complying with the terms of the agreement and has been delaying many things.

Baresdhoo was given to lease for farming and fishing projects. The island needs a harbor and the lease agreement stipulated that the government should give Villa the permit to develop the island harbor.

“It took 7 years for the government to give us the permit. In the meantime during the seven years the company has been regularly arranging all the lease payments, the salaries of the staff. And after seven years they give the permit and tell us to ‘here is your permit, develop the harbor.’ So when we calculate, we find that we are in loss,” he said.