First boat of state shipping line to arrive on Sunday

The first container boat of the Maldives State Shipping is set to arrive in the Maldives on Sunday, according to the State Trading Organization.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had previously stated that the first boat of the state shipping line was expected to arrive in the country on March 30 but may be prone to delays.

The MSS will operate as a subsidiary company of STO.

The company stated that the boat was expected to arrive on April 5 and that the delays were due to an issue stemming from the Covid-19 virus. The boat with a capacity of 700 containers of 20 feet in length will depart from a Sri Lankan port.

An office of the company has also been opened in the capital. The office is located on the third floor of the STO Trade Center.

The government is working to alleviate the reliance of the country on the tourism industry which has been heavily affected by the Covid-19 global pandemic and the investment in state shipping line is seen as an important step in the direction.