Understanding People's Basic Needs

•   Prices for food staples doubled overnight
•   Maldives current crises are not just limited to severe democracy deficit
•  A political system is corrupt when it is strictly profit-driven
   
                                                
  
  
  
  Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom (born. 21 May 1959) is President of the Republic of Maldives, Head of State and Government, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Police. President Yameen obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. Later, he obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Claremont Graduate School in Los Angeles, California. President Yameen’s reputation as a great Visionary, Efficient and Result-Oriented Executive has often been highlighted to gain public support during elections and to instill in people of Maldives a feeling of government of Republic of Maldives being in and governed by safe hands. Being the elected head of the Republic of Maldives, President Yameen is at the forefront of the implementation of democratic reforms, particularly through the legislature.

  
  

  Maldives is undergoing “severe democracy deficit” in the country, the curtailment of fundamental freedoms of expression and assembly has created an environment of fear and intimidation among people of Maldives. The lack of progress in resolving an intractable political crisis triggered by jailing of opposition and lack of crucial action that is needed to be taken at the political level by the country’s President who has influence and access to the machinery of the state. There is a dire need for political consensus in the long term, while in the short term, the government must demonstrate both the will and the leadership to help the nation emerge from severe democratic deficit. With Maldives policies deeply politicised and compromised, and disregards to the principles of natural justice or to serve the best interest of the nation as a whole. The “Great Economist”, President Yameen, is now also being accused of defaming Maldives government by the very own people who elected him to power. He has been criticized and accused of “increasingly repressive” policies and fear are being expressed on free and fair elections in 2018 which people claim “seems an increasingly distant prospect”.

  
  

  Maldives current crises are not just limited to severe democracy deficit, decline in government's foreign currency reserves is also a point of major concern. Reserves at the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) readily available for use in the foreign currency exchange market have declined tremendously, decline largely attributable to the increase in MMA’s foreign currency sales, which the central bank said was driven by a slow-down in the tourism sector and high demand for dollars ahead of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
  
  

  

  
  

  The government has struggled to meet ambitious revenue targets amid a slowdown in the tourism sector. It predicts a deficit of MVR3.4billion (US$220million) or 6 percent of GDP, but the World Bank believes the figure could be as high as 13.3 percent. The MMA says the current shortage can be attributed to both demand and supply-side factors. From the supply side, the slow-down in tourism sector has reduced dollar revenue for the economy, alongside this, increased government spending on large infrastructural projects have exacerbated the current situation in the domestic foreign exchange market. With President Yameen's “Visit Maldives Year 2016” campaign, with a goal of welcoming 1.5 million tourists to Maldives, failing to meet its target, tourism industry, backbone of Maldives economy, is on a downfall. Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer said, “There are challenges in tourist arrivals. Growth hasn’t been what we anticipated”, throwing the blame on the opposition’s alleged scaremongering about religious extremism in the Maldives. Contrary to governments belief, international tour operators suggested that years of bad press about political turmoil coupled with the dearth of mid-range hotels and introduction of “Green Tax” on top of a 12 percent tourism goods and services tax, was undermining the Maldives’ attractiveness as a global holiday destination.

  
  

  The government of Republic of Maldives headed by President Yameen are facing huge public criticism after the government announced austerity measures to rein in deficit. Moves like issuing advice for the general public to renounce traveling abroad for their holy pilgrimage Hajj as a measure to reduce the leakages of foreign currency out of the country has escalated the unrest among Islamic people of the country. Curbs are also being extended on overseas travel to seek medical treatment to prevent what government sees as “leakage of millions of dollars”. Rules have already been imposed on freeze of government appointments and an order to close government offices by 2:30pm. What comes as a major shock for people of the Maldives is the unjustified imposition of numerous new taxes and price hikes on basic commodities to fill in for the deficit. Government's policy of exploitation of its own people at the cost of building large infrastructural projects is not being digested by Maldivians. Yameen Government recent policy to cut down on food subsidy has caused outrage among Maldivians, especially as it comes in the wake of a hike in basic utilities such as electricity and fuel prices.

  
  

  People first concern themselves with meeting their basic needs; only afterwards, do they pursue any higher needs. President Yameen's recent policy to cut down of food subsidy on pretext that a majority of those who benefit from the subsidy are not its rightful beneficiaries, has created a widespread outcry among people of Maldives. Shops across the Maldives are running out of food staples as Maldivians rushed to buy rice, flour and sugar following an abrupt announcement by the Yameen government about plans to cut down food subsidies. With reported long queues outside shops in the atolls and rationing in southern Addu City, shops have now put a limit on kilos per customer. The controlled prices for rice, flour and sugar is set to double, with a kilo of rice previously costing MVR 3.98 to be sold at MVR 7.96, a kilo of sugar which cost MVR 4.5 will now cost MVR 8, and flour sold at MVR 3.5 per kilo will now be sold for MVR 5.96. President Yameen's new policy has caused an uprise in black marketing of daily essentials, with State Trading Organisation, which imports and distributes the majority of staples at prices set by the government, maintaining stand that there is no shortage. The announcement has caused outrage as it comes in the wake of a hike in fuel surcharge of MVR 0.04 on each unit of electricity already imposed from October 2016. President Yameen is also planning to introduce “Control of the Public Sector Wage Bill”, to cut down on salaries, which will result in further frustration and anger among the Maldivians.

  
  

  “For now, our stand is that we cannot afford to pay more taxes,” is the voice of most people of Maldives. The “Anti-Yameen” campaigns erupting within the country have alleged that the taxes and price hikes of basic commodities like food, fuel and electricity have little to do with the deficit, and everything to do with corrupt President Yameen's own personal greed for money to maintain his lavish lifestyles. Maldavians claim that austerity measures are a sign of fiscal mismanagement and there are no guidelines on how the collected tax is to be spent. 

  
  

  “There is now a real fear that the government may not be able to pay salaries which shows that the government has serious issues with cash flows,” says Ibrahim Ameer, a member of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party. “The government’s fiscal policy has failed. It is worsening the dollar crisis. The government is using forced T-bills to bridge the deficit, which is having a negative impact on the private sector.” President Yameen's autocratic regime is already amidst a US$ 1.6bn money laundering scam involving leasing of 59 atolls ,each for 99 years to various resort companies without inviting any bids for the same. Afterwards, President Yameen, instead of ordering probe into the allegations, put restrictions on any news related to the scam on any electronic and print media in Maldives. Massive peaceful protests and rallies demanding probe into the money laundering allegations were all crushed by violent force with people claiming that the whole system is corrupt from top to bottom, including the official administration, central bank and the judiciary system.

  
  

  With this article we would like to pass a message, on behalf of all the people of Maldives, to the President and other government officials of Republic of Maldives:

  
  

  
  

  A political system is corrupt when it is strictly profit-driven, not driven to serve the best interests of its people. A great leader must serve the best interests of the people first, not those of multinational corporations. Human life should never be sacrificed for monetary profit. There are no exceptions. In addition, a leader should always be open to criticism, not silencing dissent. Any leader who does not tolerate criticism from the public is afraid of their dirty hands being revealed under heavy light. And such a leader is dangerous, because they only feel secure in the darkness. Only a leader who is free from corruption welcomes scrutiny; for scrutiny allows a good leader to be an even greater leader.