Finance Minister Moosa Zameer has treated an International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation to a lavish dining experience as the IMF prepares to release its annual report for Maldives this week.
Adhadhu understands that Zameer hosted the meal for the IMF delegation at the Only BLU Under Ocean Restaurant at the Ailafushi Resort on February 12.
The five-member IMF delegation's head is Piyaporn Sodsriwiboon. The other members are senior economist Hamid R Tabarraei, economist Jin Lee, economist Manabu Nose and advisor to executive director Ali Abdul Raheem.
Adhadhu contacted the Finance Ministry for comment but has not yet received a response.
Previous governments also hosted lunch or dinner for visiting IMF delegations every year. But it appears that the IMF delegations have never accepted such an expensive meal from a high-end restaurant.
The IMF Code of Conduct for Staff does not mention anything about accepting hospitality. However, the code of conduct states that accepting gifts is improper and staff must report if a gift is worth more than USD 100.
The Only BLU Under Ocean Restaurant is located six meters below sea level and is the largest underwater restaurant in the Maldives.
