MNCCI elects new board

The new board of the Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) has been constituted.

Mudrikath Moosa, son of former MP Reeko Moosa Manik, was elected as the board's President, while Asiya Azeema was elected as the Vice President for the current term. The term of the current board will be one year and 40 percent of the board seats are occupied by women.

Speaking to AVAS, Mudrikath Moosa said local businesses have suffered huge losses over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the organization will work with the government and focus on improving the situation of local businesses during the current term, said Mudrikath. A 'COVID-19 Recovery Plan' will be formulated, and the organization will reach out to local businesses and take their opinions into account in formulating the plan, he added.

'What we are seeing is loans being given out to help struggling businesses at this time. However, issuing loans on top of loans is not a solution. A recovery plan is also necessary, and that is the work we will undertake," he said.

MNCCI said 40 percent of the organization's new board includes women as a large number of women are now active in the business field. The organization hopes to increase women's participation in the sector, said MNCCI.

Established 27 years ago, MNCCI represents the common interests of the business community. The organization's president during its last term was Ismail Nooraddheen while its Vice Presidents were Ismail Asif and Ahmed Rizvi.