On Tuesday, the Government of Japan donated equipment and vehicles to Maldives Customs Service to help strengthen border control efforts. The donations were handed over at a special ceremony held yesterday at the Maldives Customs Service by the Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives, Her Excellency Mrs. Takeuchi Midori. The donations were received on behalf of the Government of Maldives by the Minister of Defence, Uza. Mariya Ahmed Didi and the Commissioner General of Maldives Customs Service, Abdulla Shareef.
The equipment and vehicle donated under this exchange include: 1 Toyota van, 1 Toyota wagon, 2 Mazda Sedan cars, 2 spare parts of vehicles, 8 handy-type Raman spectrometers, 4 counterfeit bill detectors, 2 mobile x-ray scanners, 3 spare parts of equipment, 1 lot Mazda spare parts and 1 box and 1 pallet spare parts of the vehicle.
The donation was facilitated as per the Exchange of Notes signed between the Government of Japan and the Government of Maldives in May 2020 under the Economic and Social Development Programme. The set of equipment and vehicles donated are valued at approximately USD 4.68 million which is equivalent to MVR 72.6 million.
The grant assistance will aid in strengthening the capacity and capability of the Maldives Customs Service and Maldives Immigration, enabling them to upscale their operational readiness and consolidate border control more effectively. This in turn will enhance public safety and security in the Maldives, thereby contributing to secure economic and social development.