Nasheed proposes bidding for Hanimaadhoo airport operations
Saeed recently stated that the government had no discussions with any party in Singapore regarding the sale or lease of the airport.
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Former President Mohamed Nasheed has suggested that the operation of HDh. Hanimaadhoo Airport should be awarded through an open bidding process, stating that the private sector would be better positioned to manage the facility.
Nasheed made the remarks in a message to an WhatsApp channel focused on the tourism sector. He said that opening the airport to bids from the private sector, whether domestic or foreign, could provide a more financially beneficial outcome for the Maldives.
“It would be best to tender for the operation of the Hanimaadhoo Airport. If an airline operates it, the profits could be significant,” Nasheed stated.
He also said that allowing private sector management could reduce the financial burden on the government. Instead of incurring debt and servicing loans, Nasheed proposed that the state could generate revenue through leasing state-owned infrastructure.
“If the airport had been given to GMR earlier, it would have been ten years since a new airport was built without MVR 2 billion in debt,” he said, referring to a previous airport project during his presidency.
Nasheed’s comments come amid accusations by former President Abdulla Yameen, who alleged at a PNF rally that the government is attempting to sell the nearly completed Hanimaadhoo Airport to India’s Adani Group. Yameen also claimed that President Dr Mohamed Muizzu met with the chairman of the Adani Group during a recent visit to Singapore.
The government has denied Yameen’s claims. Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed recently stated that the government had no discussions with any party in Singapore regarding the sale or lease of the airport.
The Hanimaadhoo Airport expansion project, which is funded through a credit line from India’s Exim Bank, is nearing completion. The project includes a 2.46-kilometre runway and a new terminal capable of handling 1.3 million passengers annually. The government has stated that 88% of the project is complete and that it will be finished by September.
