Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) leader and Meedhoo MP Ahmed Siyam Mohamed has criticised the government's development policy by describing the airport projects in islands as a waste.
Speaking during the budget debate, Siyam said the airports were a waste and that the government must think about how it is spending. He was referring to Finance Minister Moosa Zameer's remark about loss-making airports.
"I think even today, most of the airports in the country are not operated; only hermit crabs go there. For example, there is an airport built in Lhaviyani atoll. No flights landed there in the last two governments, he said.
Siyam said it usually costs USD 10 or 11 million to build an airport and no money is returned from the investment.
"So we have to improve the policy. The investment we are making should be profitable. In business, even the Finance Minister must know this: if you spend one dollar, you have to make a profit of 15 dollars. This is the principle of business," he said.
There are currently 18 airports operating in the country. The government aims to develop 15 more airports in the next few years. This has been criticised by the public and politicians.
In addition to the airports, Siyam also criticised the land reclamation policy. The reclaimed land on islands are left unused for many years and the expenditure on it has not produced adequate results, he said.
The tourism industry tycoon urged the government to reduce its spending by 40 percent for the future of the country.
