:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

Problems with Gayyoom Policies

By Mohamed Ashfag, 12 July 2004

Theemuge: the present presidential palace which did cost the nation tens of millions of dollars. Do we need such a palace?

Muliyaage: the former presidential palace. Isn’t this palace appropriate for the president of a nation like Maldives to reside and to receive foreign dignitaries?

The water and sewerage systems of outer islands have only shown marginal improvement over the years. Outer island account for 70% of Maldivian population

The capital island Male’, which is the hub of all economic activity and the most densely populated island in the country has a population of about 80,000 residing in a total land area of 197 hectares. This makes Male’ the most populated place on the face of this earth in terms of population per area. (164 people per acre)

One would wonder, what attributed Male’ to experience such an influx and concentration of population. (30% of Maldivian population resides in Male’) The very obvious answer to this is that Male’ is the one and only island in the Maldives where employment opportunities, health and education are available, at a level, at least one could say somehow acceptable. Why did Mr. Gayyoom pursue a policy that marginalized the rights and requirements of the people of outer islands? On what basis is it justifiable for Gayyoom to live in an estate which has cost the nation tens of millions of dollars to build while consciously neglecting the dire needs of outer islands to have electricity, healthy sanitation systems and safe drinking water?

Gayyoom only knows too well the need for proper water and sewerage systems as more than half the children who died during the 70’s was, according to records due to enteric diseases. Gayyoom campaigned to the top job when capital Male’ was in the height of these epidemics. He was sworn into Office on the 11^th November 1978. A nation, which cannot safeguard the basic health of her people in outer islands through the facilitation of appropriate water and sewerage systems, surely has no dazzling ‘Vision 2020’ to speak of.

Even in Male’, most of the people can barely consider themselves living, the living process of ordinary people can be more appropriately termed as existing. A household’s monthly expenditure can hardly be met with the collective income generated by that household. Often than not, the likelihood of households entering into financial difficulties keep growing by the day. The environment, which is created by the persistent worry of financial hardship of families for certain, partly explains the violent outbursts and hatred-filled behaviour that are now commonly being displayed by the nation’s youth. (Over 70% of Maldivian population account for people below 30 years of age) This situation is further aggravated by the Gayyoom favoured justice policy of not upholding the rule of law as and when He sees fit.

The deliberate disregard for the growing need to streamline the housing (rent) situation in Male’ by Gayyoom has led to the development of unhygienic dwelling conditions and levels of subdivision of land that is proving to be a disaster. The unnatural population boom in Male’ and the high rents of Male’ has a greater impact and influence in the livelihood of ordinary people than what is directly felt by individuals and households. Following are some consequences of a prolonged high rents and rapid growth rates of immigration into capital Male’.

- An increase in the development of extremely tiny and unrealistic cubicle-like-space for the sole purposes of renting. The Government of Maldives (GoM) failed to introduce minimum requirements to regulate the housing situation in order to uphold the healthy standards of living. Now it is common to see matchbox-like structures that are erected in land areas less than 400 sq feet. The extreme levels of subdivision of land that is allowed by Male’ Municipality is creating many operational problems to the utility service providers of the island. The most common scene of Male’ streets and roads are continuous blockades by service providers, to either provide a new connection or for repair and maintenance. The most likely explanation is that the authorities are pushing the limits of the capacity to which the initial networks were designed for. Apart from the public nuisance this creates, these actions may pave way for a major catastrophe, let alone the huge cost of continual interfering of paved roads. This highlights the lack of common and understood vision GoM has for future Male’. (economic hub of country)

- The excessively expensive pricing of goods and commodities due to rip-off rents. Apart from the prices of staple food (rice, flour and sugar), all the prices of commodities are inflated by the inclusion of the cost component of rent in Male’. Almost all the goods that are imported into the country enter via Male’. Over 90% of the goods that are in turn diverted to outer islands find the inclusion of rent components of shops and warehouses of Male’ established business. However, it should be acknowledged that few businessmen from outer islands have started to import some goods directly so that goods could be shipped immediately after Custom clearance from Male’. One can only appreciate too well the sheer difficulties these businessmen would face to ensure prompt transportation to avert being penalized for demurrages. Thus, it the common man who is squeezed in their attempt to survive through the month, merely for the GoM’s inability to provide a realistic rent situation in the capital.

- Wasteful utilization and misallocation of nation’s funds. To the sustenance of the situation of Male’ the GoM has to allocate and spend a more than fair share of public spending to Male’. This is clearly indicative in the waste management of Male’ which has absorbed a huge potion of GoM’s budget. It is very true that Male’ with its massive concentration of population has the need to effective waste disposal system to ensure hygiene and healthy standards. However, the big question is if it is justifiable to cater only to the need of 30% of the population at the cost of the rest of 70% of people in outer islands, merely because they are unaware of their basic rights mainly due to the fact that they have been deprived and marginalized from effective education.

For a better comprehension of the situation in Male’, following is brief monthly expenditure summary a (one) person should incur in order to pursue the most basic living.

Description Mrf (monthly)

Rent (1 room with toilet) 3,000.00
Food (just for basic survival) 600.00
Water 100.00
Electricity 150.00

Total: 3,850.00

The average pay scale of a person is Mrf. 1,500.00

The above expenditure level is exclusive of medical expense, clothing and entertainment (TV). Undisputedly, this situation presents a natural and perfect condition necessary for a breeding ground of corruption, as never seen before by civilized people.

A very large part of the cause of these problems can be attributed to the Gayyoom favoured political structure of the Maldives. The present political structure is very much based on a feudal system in which power is shared among a few elite family members and ‘friends’ of Gayyoom. The executive headmen of islands and atolls (Island and Atoll chiefs) have very limited power and authority and quite naturally assume very few responsibilities and in turn evade any accountability. The favoured candidates for these posts are cronies of GoM and as Mr. Xavier Romero-Frias explains, these people are only trained to report to the government about the situation in their islands and to merely wait for instructions from the central power and to follow them thoroughly.

The GoM, on 10^th July 2004 has announced its plans to increase the pay scale of civil servants with affect from 1^st August 2004. GoM did not state by how much the increase will be. What we, the people want to know now is how the GoM plans to finance this additional increase in the civil service payroll? What, if any inflationary effect this course of action would have? What kind of improvement does the GoM expect the ordinary people lives to have as direct consequence of this action. Then and only then, would we be able to judge the success of this action. This is the reason why we call for a party system of governance; as such a system would automatically facilitate the answers for these types of questions and ensure a better deal for people.

Mr. Royston Ellis, for what ever reason, may have termed Gayyoom as a “Man For All Islands”, but for certain Gayyoom is NOT the MAN for us, PEOPLE, who call these tiny ISLANDS HOME!