Opposition leader and chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Fayyaz Ismail has expressed concerns over the Mohamed Muizzu administration’s attitude towards the Ocean Connect Maldives-India Asia Express (OCM-IAX) submarine cable system project. Ismail stated that senior government officials publicly describing the project as a wasteful endeavour undermines public confidence and trust in the current administration.
“Government officials making conflicting statements on various occasions and spreading misleading information to the public reveal that the [Muizzu] administration lacks a coherent plan or policy,” Ismail said in a social media post.
Ismail’s comments come in the wake of allegations on social media that the Muizzu administration plans to sell off Ocean Connect Maldives Pvt. Ltd. (OCM), the state-owned enterprise overseeing the OCM-IAX project. OCM has since refuted these allegations, stating that there are no plans to sell the company.
Citing the OCM statement, Ismail commented that it was a positive sign that the company had issued a statement refuting the allegations. He further described this as beneficial for companies and technical experts engaged in the Maldives’ Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
Ismail also noted that the OCM statement indicates the Muizzu administration’s intention to continue the productive and sound policies enacted by the previous MDP-led government to diversify the Maldives’ economy.
India-based Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. also issued a statement denying social media reports that the Maldives’ government planned to sell OCM to Reliance Jio. According to OCM, the false reports were shared in an attempt to undermine public trust in the Muizzu administration.
The OCM-IAX Submarine Cable System, initiated by the Ibrahim Mohamed Solih administration on 11 August 2023, underscores the previous administration’s commitment to investing in the country’s technological infrastructure. This project marked the first time the Maldives was directly connected to the international submarine cable system, a significant milestone in the nation’s history.
According to the previous MDP-led government, this project marked the dawn of a new digital era for the Maldivian people. It was seen as a vital step in transforming the country into a hub for technology and international commerce, bridging East and West, while fostering a wave of innovation and economic growth in the Maldives, the MDP-led government stated at the time.
