Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer has said no action of corruption was involved in awarding Gulhifalhu reclamation project to Dutch dredging firm, Boskalis Westminster Contracting Limited.
Speaking at a news conference to address public concern following the decision to award the project to Boskalis for USD 53 million without tender, Minister Ameer said the project will be financed by Dutch ING Bank via a loan and the financer requires the project to be awarded to a Dutch firm.
The minister further said the project also needed to be completed promptly, as it has significant economic benefits to the country. He said the project was awarded to Boskalis after the project was evaluated in the Economic Council. He also said the state-owned Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTTC) has committed to several projects in the past few months and is unable to take up a mega project.
Boskalis was awarded the project to reclaim 6 million cubic metres of land and establish a 4-kilometre seawall within 180 days as part of the first phase of moving Male' Commercial Port to Gulhifalhu.
The giant Dutch firm has successfully conducted several mega reclamation and various dredging projects in Maldives.