The Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) has agreed with Male' City Council to share part of the revenue generated from the MPL-run T-Jetty Harbour, but the two sides have yet to sign a written agreement, the city council has said.
A city council official said the necessary steps are being taken to sign a written agreement. However, the exact date is yet to be announced.
"The agreement is still in the process of being formulated," the official said.
The official said some minor issues still needed to be agreed upon by the two sides, and discussions were currently underway.
Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh had earlier said that when he first met MPL's senior management regarding the matter, he was told that T-Jetty and North Harbor were not useful to the company. He said the company said it wanted to focus its business only on the Male' Commercial Port.
MPL's board later decided to discuss the matter with the Transport Ministry, the Planning Ministry, and the City Council, and informed the decision to MPL, said Nareesh.
MPL's last communication regarding the T-Jetty matter said that the Planning Ministry had handed over the T-Jetty to the company under an MoU. As the MoU did not specify a period, the Planning Ministry has the power to take back T-Jetty from under MPL, the company said.
The city council filed a lawsuit earlier this year to bring T-Jetty under its control. However, AVAS has learned that the case has been withdrawn.
T-Jetty was under the city council, and the jetty was handed over to MPL during former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom's administration. Current Male City Mayor Mohamed Muizzu was the Housing Minister at the time. When President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih established the jurisdiction of the Male' City Council, he included T-Jetty under the City Council.
