Five days since Male

Male’ City Council Member Ibrahim Sujau has said that five days have passed since the council’s telephone and internet services have been disconnected due to unpaid bills.

The services were disconnected last Thursday.

Sujau said that the council met with the Finance Minister Abdulla Jihaad last night and that he had said that he has agreed to try and repay the bills. Sujau said that it is crucial that the bills be repaid soon as it is important to resume certain local services. He said that the council will repay the bills from their earnings if the services are not reconnected in a period of two days.

Sujau said that the council receives an average of 800 phones calls a day.

“If we are not able to settle the bills within the next two days, we will pay the bill from our earnings. According to our system, we will not actually be able to do that, but we have no choice. It is shameful if it comes to that. But whatever it takes, we want to provide our services to the public,” said Sujau.

He said that following the disconnection, a large number of people walk in to the council office to express their discontent. The Council owes Dhiraagu four months of overdue payments. According to the council the bills amount to more than four hundred thousand rufiyaa.

A few days ago, the city council received notification from STELCO that their electricity will be disconnected due to unpaid bills. Finance Ministry had said then that the government lacked finances to repay the bills.