The State Trading Organization (STO) is fully mobilised to distribute the 10 kilogrammes of basmati rice and 10 kilogrammes of flour donated to each household by the government, the company said in a press release on Thursday.
The staples have now been imported, stored, and are ready for distribution, STO said.
The majority state-owned enterprise (SOE) trading in petroleum, cooking gas, construction materials, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, home appliances, electronics, supermarket products, and insurance; STO will collaborate in this effort with government ministries, councils, and other organisations, the press statement said.
In terms of distributions;
- Donations will be issued exclusively to Maldivian citizens based on their electricity meter numbers and those taking receipt of the rations will have their National Identity Card (ID) number cross-referenced to the meter numbers
- Loading and shipping efforts to the atolls began on 6 March where distributions to households will be managed by the island councils
- Allocations in the Malé area will be carried out under Malé City Council’s supervision, where distribution will go forward over 9 and 16 March between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. during normal weekdays and between 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 9 p.m to 11:30 p.m. during Ramadan — no distributions will take place on the first day of Ramadan or on Friday
Seven distribution hubs will be set in the Malé area.
Distribution hubs on the island of Malé will include; the National Football Stadium, Malé City Council’s General Services Division, and the Social Centre.
On the island of Villimalé, distributions will go ahead at the Masjid-Al-Birri hall.
The Umar Zahir Building will be the distribution hub at Hulhumalé Phase I and distributions at Hulhumalé Phase II will be carried out from the Youth Centre at Hiyaa Flats, Tower number 10.
