Task Force opens Mal

The Task Force created by President Abdullah Yameen has opened a special fund to raise finance to deal with the water crisis that has hit Malé, the capital of the Maldives.

Speaking to the press yesterday, Minister of Defence and National Security Muhammad Nazim, who heads the Task Force, said that the new fund, by the name Malé Water Crisis Management Fund, was open as of yesterday.

The government had earlier stated that USD20 million was needed to completely repair the panel boards at the water treatment plant operated by the Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC), which were destroyed in a fire accident on Thursday.

The government has also said that it needed all well-wishers and friends to provide assistance with the new fund.

The Task Force has also specified bank accounts to which financial aid to the fund can be deposited from both within the Maldives and without.

Naazim said at yesterday’s press conference that assistance amounting to USD1.5 million had been received hitherto. That assistance was provided by a number of parties who included the Chinese government and a Saudi Arabian businessman.