Removal of Governor, short-sightedness of govt: Fayyaz

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail on Wednesday has criticized government’s decision to remove Governor Ali Hashim.

Fayyaz criticized the President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu led administration for its decision to remove Hashim with economic uncertainty looming.

He said that the “unsettling of financial institutions” is another sign of the government’s short-sighted decision making.

In a post on X, Fayyaz advised to take a “more measured and careful approach” while he urged President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, his administration and the governing party to refrain from taking “this dangerous course”.

The Public Accounts Committee of the parliament on Wednesday voted to recommend the dismissal of Hashim after he failed to appear before the committee despite four different chances were extended to him.

The members, who heavily criticized Hashim, had deemed him unfit to fulfill his responsibilities in leading the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) and push monetary reforms to regulate the banking sector.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance had said the Governor did not initiate any discussions to provide counsel for reforms to enhance government’s cost-cutting efforts. Hashim however, claimed in a letter addressed to the committee that he had counseled the government about taking reforms but was not heeded which led to the current near-irrecoverable economic plight.

Hashim had been the Minister of Finance from 2008 to 2010 during former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration, and was appointed as the Governor during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s government on September 8, 2019.