Govt coalition parties will decide on GMR issue- Azima

State Attorney General Azima Shukoor has said that the government coalition political parties will decide on the issue of the agreement made between the former government and GMR infrastructure to maintain and operate Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.

Attorney General Azima made this remark at the press conference held at President’s Office yesterday afternoon. She said that the Ministerial Committee established to review the agreement made by the former government with GMR noted that are issues in the agreement and it does not benefit the Maldives.

In this regard, Azima said that there are issues found in the bidding process, agreement process and the way the government acted after the agreement that will be of harm for the people economically.

Azima said that the decision regarding the matter should taken very wisely. She said if the agreement is to be terminated than the compensation payment is expected to be about 700 US dollars which the state cannot afford to make the payment given the current economic situation of Maldives. And she said that if the agreement is terminated there will be a loss of investor confidence which is of utmost importance for the country.

Azima said that the government should also consider the diplomatic problems that might arise if the agreement is terminated. She however noted that the Indian government has not tried to make any influence on the matter.

Azima also noted that there were many issues in the expertise provided by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to the former administration regarding the matter. She said that this includes the issue of there being no profit for the government in the lease of such a big asset of the state.

Azima said that the country is facing these issues now because the former government did not care to consult the matter with the top officials of Maldives Airports Company and just made the decision on their own. In this regard, she highlighted that many assets of the then Airports Company and Island Aviation were leased without any charge.

Azima said that the committee will be revealing their findings on the issue to the government yesterday evening.

In the press conference, Transport minister Dr. Ahmed Shamheed, Economic Minister Ahmed Mohamed and Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb also raised some of the issues in the lease of the airport to GMR.