Hulhumale

Ferry service between Male’ and Hulhumale’ has resumed after being disrupted this morning, over a delay in payments owed to the ferry boats by the operator, Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC).

A large crowd of people were stuck in Hulhumale' ferry terminal, unable to make their commute to work this morning.

CEO of MTCC Ahmed Adhuham Abdulla said today that they were forced to call in stand-by boats, as the scheduled boats refused to make the trip. The issue has been resolved and the boats have resumed, Ahmed said.

“Hulhumale’ ferry’s payments were overdue. The issue did not arise for Vilimale’ ferries,” Ahmed said.

He said that MTCC has been unable to pay the ferry boats because of pending overdue payments due to the company, by the government. The government has now paid the overdue sums, Ahmed said.

Ahmed said that he cannot reveal the total outstanding sum from the government, but said that “it was a large sum.”

MTCC, the government’s main constructions arm, makes a majority of their profits through contracts awarded by the government. The government handed over 22 harbour construction projects to MTCC this June, without conducting a bidding process.

Hulhumale’ ferry services were disrupted less than 24 hours after the MTCC's CEO Ahmed Adhuham Abdulla joined the main opposition, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).