Bank of Maldives tightened controls on dollar access through a new digital partnership with Immigration, allowing foreign spending limits to activate only when the cardholder is physically abroad. Under the integration, foreign point-of-sale transactions on personal cards will only work when Immigration confirms the cardholder has departed the country, closing a route the bank says was being used to obtain dollars for business purposes through personal card limits. E-commerce transactions will be capped at 30 per customer per month, after the bank found that fewer than three percent of customers were exceeding that threshold and that the same individuals were the ones routing business spending through personal cards. Students studying abroad whose own cards have not yet been issued can continue using a guardian's card for three months, after which a dedicated student card with tailored limits will be required. Customers holding multiple credit cards will be charged the annual fee on only one card, since foreign spend limits apply per customer rather than per card. Dollar-account-linked cards remain unrestricted. Foreign currency sales for TT transfers will be processed only during banking hours, though dollar TTs themselves can be sent around the clock. The bank said it would also identify and restrict customers attempting to circumvent limits by splitting TT transactions.
Elections Commission President Mohamed Zahid resigned from both his chair and membership roles without giving a reason, the EC confirmed. Zahid, who was appointed to the commission in January last year and elevated to president the following month, led the EC through April's local council elections and the constitutional referendum in which 69 percent voted against holding presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously.
The government held its own May Day march for the first time, drawing accusations from labour unions that it was an attempt to "pick a fight" with workers' organisations. Led by Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan, whose ministry took over labour affairs in this month's cabinet reshuffle, the march from Artificial Beach to the Social Centre was attended by ministers and government staff and opened with a Zumba routine. The Maldives Trade Union Congress held its own separate march, as it has in previous years. The parallel government event was designed to undermine independent unions, MTUC said. Union demands included a review of the minimum wage, implementation of the occupational safety and industrial relation laws, US dollar service charge and salaries for resort workers, subsidised fuel for all fishermen, adequate resources for teachers, and a minimum purchase price for yellowfin tuna as pledged.
Trans Maldivian Airways and Manta Air cut staff salaries for up to three months, citing a sharp drop in tourist arrivals linked to the Iran-Israel conflict and resulting flight cancellations. Both airlines said the pay cuts are temporary measures to protect jobs and keep operations running, with salaries to be restored once passenger numbers recover.
MDP acting chairman Abdul Ghafoor Moosa called for the June 12 chairperson election to be postponed, citing internal divisions and a lack of party funds, but both candidates immediately pushed back. Candidate MP Meekail Naseem said the election must proceed as scheduled and warned against manipulating the process for anyone's benefit, while former chair Fayyaz Ismail – who backs rival candidate ex-President Nasheed – said there is no reason to delay and the election should in fact be moved earlier.
The Privatisation and Corporatisation Board removed Ibrahim Ziyath from the Maldives Ports Limited board and appointed Mohamed Lamaan in his place, as the government continues reshuffling state-owned enterprise leadership following last month's local council election losses. Lamaan resigned from his post as deputy managing director of MACL before being appointed to the MPL board.
Ismail Rahil made history as the first deaf graduate of the Maldives National University, completing a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology at the Faculty of Engineering, Science and Technology. Education Minister Dr Ismail Shafiu presented Rahil his degree at Thursday’s graduation ceremony. The ministry and the public widely congratulated him on the milestone.
