The Ministry of National Planning and Infrastructure has stated that Newport View is now being run illegally.

In mid-March, the government gave the owner of the waterfront restaurant in the south-eastern side of Male’ a one-month notice to vacate the land for failure to pay the MVR 100,000 monthly rent for three months.

The agreement states that the government has the authority to take back the plot if the company fails to pay rent. However, the restaurant still remains open after the deadline.

In a press release on Monday, the planning ministry stated that since the restaurant is now being run illegally, they will be taking action after completing the necessary legal procedures.

The ministry stated that the 10,000-square-foot plot of land will be transformed into a public space after Newport View is removed.

The previous administration of President Abdulla Yameen leased the land to Strada, the restaurant’s parent company, in late 2016 for a three-year period. The lease was extended to eight years in 2017 and Strada was also tasked with developing a bridge view platform, food outlet, and children’s park in the area.