News

Zareer appointed as new Commissioner General of Taxation

Published

3 weeks ago

23/05/2024

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has appointed Hassan Zareer as the new Commissioner General of Taxation.

Zareer was presented with his letter of appointment in a ceremony held at the President’s Office on Thursday morning.

The appointment came shortly after the Bank of Maldives (BML) announced that Zareer had resigned from his post as the bank’s chairperson, in order to assume his new post.

The position of Commissioner General of Taxation fell vacant after Fathuhulla Jameel resigned from the post in February, to contest the parliamentary elections.

The President’s Office made an open call for interested candidates, and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu submitted the names of eligible candidates to the Parliament on March 13.

The names were ranked based on his preference, with former tax commissioner Yazeed Mohamed on top of the list, followed by Zareer, who had served as Yazeed’s deputy.

Both Yazeed and Zareer had lost their positions following a 2019 amendment to the Taxation Act.

But the Parliament’s Economic Committee, which vetted the candidates, approved Zareer for the post, instead of Yazeed.

Yazeed received four votes, while Zareer received 10 votes.

Zareer’s appointment was approved by the Parliament with the unanimous consensus of 45 members on May 13.

Zareer holds a Master of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Accounting from International Islamic University, Malaysia. He is also a fellow member of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, United Kingdom and a certified member of Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA), Australia.

Zareer was appointed as the chairperson of BML’s board of directors in an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on March 25.

He replaced Yooshau Saeed, who had held the post of the bank’s chairperson since 2021.

Prior to his appointment to BML, Zareer served as the Director of Finance and Group Chief Compliance Officer at Villa Shipping and Trading Company Pvt Ltd. Before that, he was the Deputy Commissioner General of Taxation at the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority, a position he held from August 2010 to September 2019.

He also served in various capacities at the Finance Ministry, including Chief Public Accounts Executive and Operations Manager of the Public Finance Reform Project from March 2007 to August 2010. He also served as the Assistant Director (Head of Public Enterprises Monitoring and Evaluation Board) and Assistant Under Secretary at the Ministry of Finance from July 2006 to March 2007.

He has served on the boards of various public and private companies, including the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority, Maldives Tourism Development Corporation, Maldives Post Limited, State Electric Company Limited, Solarelle Insurance, and Maldives Entertainment Company Limited. He also served as the chairman of Maldives National Oil Company.

Source(s): sun.mv

World

Russia-Ukraine conflict: China urges U.S. to stop ‘unacceptable’ smears

Published

11 hours ago

15/06/2024

China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations on Friday urged the United States to stop using the Ukraine issue as an excuse to smear China.

Geng Shuang said the U.S. side has spread the lie that China has supported Russia in its war efforts. “This is unacceptable,” he told a UN Security Council briefing on arms supplies to Ukraine.

China is neither the creator of the crisis in Ukraine, nor a party to it, he said, adding that China has always been pushing for a political settlement and for peace talks.

China has not provided lethal weapons to any party to the conflict, and has always strictly controlled dual-use items, Geng stressed.

He said that economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia complies with WTO and market rules, is not targeted against any third party and does not run counter to international law.

“As a matter of fact, since the outbreak of the war, the trade between the U.S. and Russia has also never stopped,” said Geng.

“This is nothing but hyping up,” he said. “It is an attempt to divert people’s attention on the conflict and creating differences.”

China urges the U.S. to stop using the Ukraine issue as an excuse to smear China and to impose unilateral sanctions and unreasonable suppression on Chinese companies, he said.

Geng also urged the U.S. to make real and positive efforts to end the war and restore peace.

Source(s): CGTN

News

International Teachers Conference scheduled for September

Published

11 hours ago

15/06/2024

The Ministry of Education has announced that the seventh International Teachers Conference will be held in Ukulhas, Alifu Alifu Atoll, this September.

Since 2012, the National Institute of Education has organized this biennial conference to foster a culture of research among teachers and education professionals. The upcoming conference is scheduled for September 28 to 30.

The event will provide a platform for teachers to discuss the challenges faced by educators, explore solutions, and exchange ideas on various ways to improve teaching. The education ministry emphasised that such conferences are crucial for attracting foreign education professionals to the Maldives and expanding academic tourism.

This year’s conference will feature presentations on topics such as inclusive education, curriculum development, professional teaching standards, the use of technology and modern tools in education, strengthening the teaching of Indigenous Islam and culture, addressing environmental changes, and educating students on personal responsibility.

Submissions for presenting papers are open until July 31.

The last conference, held in 2022 in Kulhudhuffushi, saw participation from over 220 teachers and scholars from both the Maldives and abroad.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

AG: Passage of Israel passport ban bill verbatim could pose complications

Published

2 days ago

14/06/2024

Attorney General Ahmed Usham, underscoring the passage of bill that has been submitted to the parliament proposing amendments Immigration Act to ban Israeli passport holders from entering the Maldives verbatim pose complications, states the government will propose amendments to the bill.

Ruling PNC backed the bill submitted by opposition MDP’s South Galolhu MP Ahmed Meekail Naseem and voted in favor of accepting the bill on Monday’s sitting following which it has been forwarded to the National Security Services Committee (241 Committee) for review.

The government has come under intense scrutiny over the delays in the passage of the bill.

Responding to a question by a journalist during a press conference held by the Attorney General’s Office on Thursday to publicize the government’s legislative agenda – AG Usham underscored the possibility of certain complications if the Israeli passport ban bill is passed verbatim. Henceforth, he said amendments will be submitted in his capacity as the Attorney General following discussions with the Committee.

He also responded to another question from the journalist, stating Israeli passport cannot be banned through a presidential decree, adding it is not a power bestowed upon the president by the constitution.

“I don’t know who exactly said this, that it was a power bestowed upon the president by the constitution. The president is not bestowed such a power by the constitution. This can only be achieved by amending the law,” he said.

The bill submitted by MP Meekail proposes to add a provision to Article 8 of the Immigration Act, which lists individuals who are barred from entering the Maldives.

If it passes the final vote, the legislature will bar the entry of all Israeli passport holders, including those who have dual citizenship.

During the debate on whether to accept the bill, Deputy Speaker Nazim called for a more cautious approach.

He said the Parliament must consider potential economic and national security repercussions when changing the country’s laws.

Qasim, the leader of Jumhoory Party (JP), also urged caution.

Qasim said the Maldives shouldn’t ban Israeli passports without giving it “thorough consideration”, and suggested the MDP hadn’t given it proper thought before submitting the bill.

The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 Israelis. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children.

Source(s): sun.mv