STELCO increases electricity prices in Malé region

Haveeru 2009-10-29

The State Electric Company (STELCO) on Wednesday announced that they will increase their electricity fee in Malé, Hulhumalé, Villingilli and Thilafushi beginning on 1 November 2009.

The new tariffs, which are separated into five categories, were announced at a news conference held at TVM. Under the new tariffs, households will be charged Rf2.25 for 0-100 units, Rf2.50 for 101-300 units, Rf 2.95 for 301-500 units, Rf3.55 for 501-600 units and Rf3.85 for all units above 601. A different tariff was announced for businesses, government offices and other places.

STELCO said that they had considered the expenses of the company when formulating the new tariffs. The new tariff for small and medium businesses was formulated in a way that they wouldn’t have to raise prices of their products, STELCO officials said, adding that the Energy Authority was also consulted.

In addition to the increase in electricity fees, STELCO will also introduce a fuel surcharge, effective 1 November 2009. However, the STELCO officials said that the surcharge would only be levied if the price of a litre of diesel in Malé market went higher than Rf8. Rf0.03 per unit of electricity will be charged as a fuel surcharge for every Rf0.10 increased from a diesel litre.

Scientist: Maldives sea level is not rising

The Maldivian cabinet held a meeting underwater to highlight the need for action on climate change

The president of the Maldives captured the media’s attention last week when he held a cabinet meeting underwater claiming that his island-nation faces disaster from rising sea-levels attributed to man-made global warming.  But Nils-Axel Mörner, a sea-level expert from Sweden, wrote to the president explaining that he has nothing to worry about in the following letter:

350*24 Dive in Maldives

350 dive rally Began at Friday’s night at 00:00 hrs in the capital city of Male’, Maldives and continues 24 hours. The event was held at the lagoon in front of Presidential Office. More than 350 scuba divers took part in this event including local divers and foreign expatriate divers.

Diving gears and suits used in World first underwater Cabinet meeting is on eBay

Gears and suits of all cabinet members including President Mohamed Nasheed’s kit. The prize of each kit starts from $2,500. The event held in Maldives to bring Attention to Climate Change was a very successful event.

Diving Gear and suit of President Mohammed Nasheed on eBay

Maldives cabinet makes a splash

The Maldives government has made an eye-catching plea for climate change action by holding the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting.

Politicians from the Indian Ocean island nation donned scuba gear this morning to send a message to world leaders ahead of December’s UN climate change conference in Copenhagen.

The nation’s president Mohammed Nasheed has voiced fears the archipelago will be swamped by raising sea levels unless action is taken to reduce carbon emissions.

The Maldivian cabinet held a meeting underwater to highlight the need for action on climate change

Big fish: President Mohammed Nasheed arriving at the meeting

The 30-minute cabinet meeting held six metres below sea-level was intended to show what the future could hold for the Maldives.

The 350,000 inhabitants of the country live on 1,192 coral islands an average of only 2.1 metres above the ocean.

Ministers communicated using hand signals and white boards as they signed a document calling on all countries to cut their emissions.

It read: ‘We must unite in a world war effort to halt further temperature rises. Climate change is happening and it threatens the rights and security of everyone on Earth.

‘We have to have a better deal. We should be able to come out with an amicable understanding that everyone survives. If Maldives can’t be saved today, we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world.’

President Nasheed was already a certified diver but most of the cabinet have had to take diving lessons in recent weeks in preparation for the meeting.

Zoona Naseem, president of Divers Association Maldives, said: ‘None of the ministers have ever been diving before, except the defense minister, and all of them are very enthusiastic.’

Nasheed has already announced plans for a fund to buy a new homeland for his people if the 1,192 coral islands are submerged. He has promised to make the Maldives the world’s first carbon-neutral nation within a decade.

As he emerged after the meeting, he said: ‘We are trying to send our message to let the world know what is happening and what will happen to the Maldives if climate change isn’t checked.’

Maldivian president Mohammed Nasheed and his ministers signed a document calling on all countries to cut their carbon dioxide emissions

If the Maldives cannot be saved today we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world President Mohamed Nasheed

President Nasheed was already a certified diver but most of the cabinet have had to take diving lessons in recent weeks in preparation for the meeting.

Zoona Naseem, president of Divers Association Maldives, said: ‘None of the ministers have ever been diving before, except the defense minister, and all of them are very enthusiastic.’

Nasheed has already announced plans for a fund to buy a new homeland for his people if the 1,192 coral islands are submerged. He has promised to make the Maldives the world’s first carbon-neutral nation within a decade.

As he emerged after the meeting, he said: ‘We are trying to send our message to let the world know what is happening and what will happen to the Maldives if climate change isn’t checked.’

At the UN Copenhagen conference countries will negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Protocol which controlled carbon emissions.

Wealthy nations want broad emissions cuts from all countries, while poorer ones say industrialized countries should carry most of the burden.

On Friday the Maldives ministers went diving for rehearsals of the meeting off the island of Girifushi, about 20 minutes by speedboat from the capital, Male.

Three of the 14 in the cabinet had to miss the underwater meeting because two were not given medical permission and another was abroad.

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