Finance Minister Moosa Zameer says Maldives Haj Corporation should reconsider its plans to enter the guest house business to generate more income.
The Managing Director of the Corporation Mohamed Shakeel had said before a parliamentary Committee last month that the Corporation was sending pilgrims to Hajj at a loss and that on average it spends around MVR 100,000 per pilgrim.
He also said that based on these numbers the corporation would spend MVR 30 million to send 3,000 people to Hajj.
So, he said, he has decided to develop a guesthouse in Maafushi and introduce halal tourism to raise foreign exchange.
When asked by Velidhoo MP Mohammed Abbas in the House today, Zameer said the main task of the Hajj Corporation is to send people for Hajj with the funds received by the company.
The Minister said that the Corporation should rethink its plans to enter the guest house market.
Referring to Matato and MMPRC, Zameer said it was not the best way for all government-owned companies to enter the resort and guesthouse business.
