Maldives Airport

Maldives Airport

25 June 2010. Indian company GMR Infrastructure has said it is confident it will win the bid for Male’ International Airport, after offering US$78 million (Rf1 billion) upfront.
“Considering the offers, we will get the highest marks. We will make the payments and take over the operations of the airport in March,” newspaper Haveeru reported one official as saying.

Finance Minister Ali Hashim disclosed the bids at a function today.

Bids at a glance:

GMR-KLIA: US$78 million upfront and one percent of the total profit in the first year (until 2014), and 10 percent of the profit from 2015 to 2035. GMR would also pay 15 percent of fuel trade revenues to the government in the first four years and 27 percent from 2015 to 2035.

Turkish TAV Airports Holdings Company and French Airports De Paris: US$7 million (RF89.95 million) upfront payment, with 31 percent of the total profit until 2014 and 29.5 percent from 2015 to 2035. The consortium offered 16.5 percent of the profits from fuel trade.

Swiss Flughafen Zurich AG and GVK Airport Developers offered US$27 million (Rf346.95 million), along with 27 percent of the total profit in the first four years and nine percent of the profit from 2015 to 2035. The consortium said it would pay nine percent of fuel revenues to the government.

The Jumhoory Party (JP), led by Gasim ‘Buruma’ Ibrahim, has meanwhile announced that it will conduct a ”special gathering” to express disapproval at the government’s decision to privatise Male’ international airport.
”Male’ international airport is a asset of the state which was built by the people,” said Moosa. ”We do not want it to be given to a foreign party.”

The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has also expressed concerned over the issue.
Vice President and Spokesman for the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Ibrahim Shareef said the party will not honour “shady deals made according to vested interests” if the party comes to power in 2013, referring to the government’s privatising of the country’s airports.

Shareef also expressed concern that the government’s efforts to privatise state assets, such as the airport, were not occurring with parliament approval.
The parties include Aéroports de Paris Management Company of France (ADP) and Turkish company TAV Airports Holding Company, Indian company GVK Airport Developers in partnership with Swiss Flughafen Zurich AG, and GMR-KLIA.