President Muizzu signed seven pieces of legislation into law, including controversial amendments to the Foreign Currency Act requiring resorts to exchange 40 per cent of their foreign currency earnings, sa well as amendments to the GST Act, Income Tax Act, Tax Administration Act, Fisheries Act, a new Land Transport Act and Act on Leasing Uninhabited Islands and Lagoons.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Muizzu remained defiant in the face of criticism from resorts, industry lobby groups, resort workers and the opposition over the doubling of the dollar conversion requirement. He said the amendments were based on extensive research and analysis of resort revenue statistics, and maintained that no resort would struggle to meet the exchange requirement even after accounting for dollar-denominated salaries, loan repayments and other operational expenses. Muizzu warned resort operators not to use the new requirement as an excuse to stop paying staff salaries in US dollars.
Responding to questions, Muizzu accused tourism businesses of threatening to under-report their income and warned that the new changes would give the government greater ability to scrutinise details of tourists’ stays. Resorts belong to the state and the wealthy should not be allowed to become richer while the rest of the population suffers, he said.
Police said six foreign workers investigated by a joint task force to crackdown on the foreign currency black market had been detained in a joint operation with Immigration. They include four Bangladeshi men and two Indian men. Police said MVR54.4 million (US$3.5 million) and US$1.6 million had circulated within their bank accounts in the past three years. The task force found that personal bank accounts and businesses connected to Maldivians are often handed over to expatriates to circulate money they receive from illegal activities. Police warned that legal action could be taken against anyone who lends their bank accounts for illegal use.
The cabinet decided to establish a legal framework for the exploration and extraction of oil, gas, minerals and other non-living marine natural resources within the Maldives' maritime zones, empowering the fisheries, agriculture and ocean resources ministry to undertake all work and draft a special bill to regulate issuance of permits, determine ownership of extracted resources and to set up mechanisms to regulate and manage the sector.
More than 6,000 employees will be dismissed under the SOE right-sizing programme, Muizzu told reporters, leaving fewer staff than when his government took office. He said work is also under way to reduce the number of political appointees and that details will be released.
A 16-year-old girl fell from the third floor of Amaan Udhares 2 housing tower in Hulhumalé. Police said the incident was reported at around 11:35am and the girl was being treated at Hulhumalé Hospital. Police also urged social media users to take down and stop circulating a video showing people gathered around the girl after the fall, with her covered by a cloth. Police warned that the footage violates the child’s privacy and dignity, causes emotional distress to her family, and could negatively affect the mental wellbeing of children and other vulnerable people. Users were urged to stop sharing the video and report posts containing the footage.
The nine-year-old girl injured in Saturday night's motorbike accident in Hulhumalé died. She was identified as Zeeva Sinan Ahmed, a grade three pupil at Billabong International School. She was on the back of a motorbike ridden by her 18-year-old aunt, which struck a pedestrian walking to a parked car near Vinares 7 at about 9pm. She was taken to Hulhumalé Hospital and later moved to IGMH, where she had been on a ventilator in intensive care. Her aunt was also treated for injuries. Police reviewed CCTV footage and have towed a yellow car and a white car seen in images of the area for evidence.
Universal Foundation told scholarship students it will pay their stipends in rufiyaa into Maldivian bank accounts rather than in dollars, citing the foreign currency regulations now in force. University fees may still be paid in the invoice currency or in dollars, but where the receiving bank allows a telegraphic transfer in rufiyaa the foundation will pay in rufiyaa at the applicable exchange rate.
MDP national council voted in Mohamed Shifaz 'Shippe' as the party's deputy vice chairperson following the resignation of former MP Ahmed Abdulla.
MDP national council approved a resolution to continue serial political activities until President Muizzu’s resignation if the government refuses to stop “irresponsible measures” being taken at a time of economic downturn and sit down with the opposition to discuss ways to solve the current financial and economic troubles.
Two men, aged 62 and 24, on a motorbike were injured after colliding with a car at an intersection in Hulhumalé Phase 2 at around 7:44am . They were being treated at Hulhumalé hospital, police said.
Muizzu claimed that he meets with reporters every week, despite not holding a press conference in more than two months. He said he gives an interview to a media outlet every week. Since his last press conference on 29 June, Muizzu had been alternating weeks with appearances on The Nation Chat, a podcast by the state broadcaster PSM and MMTV, as well as The Pulse, a program in which he responds to questions from other government-aligned media outlets scripted around a curated topic each week.
Ahmed Ali, a former assistant commissioner general of taxation, was appointed as the private sector representative to the Pension Office board.
