Marketing tourism has been decided as the only mandate of MMPRC

The Government has decided that marketing the Maldivian tourism as the only mandate for the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).

In an interview with Sun Media today, Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer said that from now on, awarding islands for resort developments and other related work would be done by the Tourism Ministry alone.

Minister Zameer said that MMPRC cannot accomplish it’s original purpose if they are handling other activities.

“In other investments, for example selling islands and such, when MMPRC is involved in all this, their primary focus is lost and other inappropriate things happen inside it.” Tourism Minister Zameer said.

He said that the Government has decided that MMPRC would only be promoting and advertising Maldivian tourism. And researching the changes to the world tourism market and taking appropriate steps has been decided as a mandate of the MMPRC.

Changes to the MMPRC mandate are being made at a time where the Police and the Anti-Corruption Commission are investigating the MMPRC for corruption during the leasing of islands for resort development.

Police have completed the investigation of some cases involving the MMPRC and sent to the Prosecutor General’s Office. One of which include charges of embezzlement against the former Managing Director of MMPRC Abdulla Ziyath and charges of misappropriate of Government funds against the former Vice President, Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Gafoor.