Malé, Maldives – Executive committee members and senior officials of National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM) have met with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday to discuss the development and management of the boating industry in the Maldives.
In the meeting held at the President’s Office, the officials of NBAM
The NBAM members conveyed to the President the challenges they face, such as the lack of a designated harbour for mooring large vessels and the need for an internationally recognised crew development programme in order to improve human resources in the boating industry.
Other issues raised by the members include difficulties in collateralizing sea vessels to secure loans; legislative issues that make operating international cruise lines in the Maldives inconvenient, and the need for a national resource management plan to make the Maldives’ natural resources more accessible to all.
The executive committee members of NBAM also expressed concern about the lack of an office space.
Addressing their concerns, President Solih stated that the lagoon next to the “Dhiyanaru” lagoon in Kaafu Atoll had been allocated specifically for docking purposes, and that the necessary land reclamation would begin in November of this year.
The President assured that the administration would consult with the relevant ministries and stakeholders to find mutually acceptable solutions to the issues that were raised in the meeting.
The first approval for the lagoon at K. Dhiyaneru to be developed as a safe harbor for liveaboard was given in 2012 and the project was re-announced for the second time by former Minister of Tourism, Ali Waheed in 2019.
