Cargo operations between India’s Tuticorin port and two atolls of the Maldives will commence in the next few weeks, Sun news reported quoting the Maldives’s President Mohamed Solih. 

The two southern atolls of the Maldives- Huvadhu and Addu- will soon begin trade with Tuticorin port of India, said the Maldives President Solih at a ceremony to inaugurate a domestic airport in the country. 

The move is part of the several measures taken by the Maldives government to decentralize the trade in order to reduce logistics cost thus directly benefiting the residents of these atolls. The President also said ease of doing business is directly connected to the development of the region. 

“The STO shipping company will commence direct operations between Tuticorin and Addu as well as Huvadhu in the next two weeks.” Said President Solih. He described the Kulhudhuffushi-Kochi operations as extremely important to decentralizing business.

After the lockdown in March, cargo operations between the two countries were commenced only in September. The first shipment of the cargo consisted of cement and other materials. 

The cargo boat operations involve unloading in Kulhudhuffushi and then traveling to port in Male’ City, the capital, whereby it will then return to India. Each trip takes a total of 10 days.