Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), on Monday, opened applications to lease the executive lounge of the new seaplane terminal at Velana International Airport (VIA).
According to MACL's announcement, interested parties must submit their application via email, fax or a letter before 1100 hrs on September 23. The opportunity is open for seaplane operators and tour operators as well as businesses in the tourism industry.
Applicants will be required to send their portfolio via email and deposit USD 10,000 (MVR 154,200) as bid security for each lounge area.
MACL's deadline for applicants to place bids for the lounge area is set for 1100 hrs on October 11.
The newly constructed seaplane terminal cost the government USD 55 million (MVR 848 million) to complete.
MACL's controversial decision to hand over the majority of the new seaplane terminal to Trans Maldivian Airlines (TMA), was widely scrutinized, with the parliament's Public Finance Committee moving to investigate the matter earlier in February.
Although MACL initially decided to lease 31,000 square meters of the terminal to TMA well below the market price, at a rate of USD 10.35 per square meter, for a period of 15 years, the administration has directed MACL's board to lease 6,400 square meters for a period of two years to TMA instead.
An audit conducted, as per a directive of the parliamentary committee, revealed that the contentious deal would have resulted in an annual loss of MVR 41 million to the state.
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