Two of Jabir

Haa Alif Alidhoo and Alif Dhaalu Kudarah, operated by Yacht Tours Maldives, have been given a week’s notice (seven days) for a second time following failure to pay rent to the government.

The two resorts failed to pay large sums of money to the government as rent and fines after they were given the final notice to do so, and following this, the government gave an additional notice in December 2012 to cancel the permits and hand over the islands to the government.

Senior Legal Officer of the Ministry of Tourism, Faseeh Zahir said today that the notice for the two islands, operated by Yacht Tours Maldives which is partly owned by Kaashidhoo MP Abdullah Jabir, was sent because they failed to pay the rent, as agreed, for the first quarter of 2013.

“We had said that even though we allow them to pay the outstanding amounts in instalments over a period of three years, they should pay rent as required. But we have been informed by MIRA that they haven’t paid rent for the first quarter,” he said.

Faseeh said that the notice sent to Yacht Tours today states that if the rent is not paid within seven days from Thursday, the agreement with the government would be terminated.

He said that the two resorts owe about $7 million to the government.