The tax authority named 25 companies and sole traders that each owe more than MVR1 million (US$64,850) in general sector GST for the last quarter of 2024 and from December 2024 to June 2026. They include Rainbow Enterprises, Jaah Private Limited, which runs Jaah City Centre, and the Jaya group’s Ibrahim Majid. MIRA did not disclose how much each owes. It said all 25 were warned by phone and SMS before the list was published and that it would keep taking enforcement action “without discrimination”.
Only about 50 of 185 resorts pay income tax, MMA Governor Munawar told parliament's budget committee, citing MIRA figures, and urged the tax authority to audit them. “Either they’re not making a profit or there’s some kind of problem,” he said. “MIRA shouldn’t only be going after corner shops.” The tourism industry earns US$5.9 billion a year, but only US$3.8 billion enters the domestic banking system, he said, adding that the central bank would step up monitoring next year to bring every dollar into the system.
Unpaid taxes owed to the state have reached MVR22 billion, Auditor General Hussain Niyazy told the budget committee, citing MIRA’s finding that the government’s late payment of its bills to businesses was dragging down compliance. The government owed businesses MVR7 billion as of September and the 2027 budget makes no provision to pay it off, he said. A recent scheme lets businesses offset money the state owes them against their taxes, but MIRA processes an offset only after the state agency or company that owes the money pays it to MIRA.
The central bank advised bringing customs revenue administration under the finance ministry’s oversight, noting the budget’s finding that arrears owed to Maldives Customs Service had grown. In written comments on the 2027 budget, the MMA also recommended a contingency plan in case the Middle East conflict slows tourism further, diversifying the economy, raising more corporate income tax, and coordination between agencies to collect the revenue the budget expects from higher resort rents and tourism fees. Among 11 spending measures, it urged carrying out the Aasandha reforms, including co-payments for high earners, keeping foreign currency spending sustainable and prioritising projects already under way.
The auditor general’s office advised the government to stop adding to the civil service, saying the state’s wage bill keeps rising every year because of pay rises and new hires. The office’s director general Mohamed Shan flagged fast-rising pension costs and repeated earlier advice to bring the double pensions paid to some state employees under the Pension Act. He said subsidy spending was also growing, mostly on fuel, and that some subsidy schemes were introduced mid-year without being in the budget. Recurrent spending makes up MVR42.7 billion, or 71.5 per cent, of the proposed MVR59.7 billion budget for 2027.
The 21 foreign workers held in immigration detention after a strike at the Bolidhuffaru resort construction site have been deported, Immigration told Adhadhu. Police handed them over on 30 October for disobeying orders after they refused to board flights home and they were deported in accordance with the law, Immigration said. Contractor Aima Construction fired the workers it identified as leaders of a three-day strike over wages and remittances.
The Anti-Corruption Commission asked the Prosecutor General to charge four Addu Equatorial Hospital staff over buying laboratory micropipette tips at above-market prices. The hospital sought 40,000 tips in 2025 as part of a four-month supply of lab consumables for itself and its health centres, the ACC said, and only one company bid. That bid was accepted without checking whether the price was reasonable, in breach of public finance regulations. The four – the officer in charge of procurement and three bid committee members, including its chair – face charges of abuse of official position and acting against the state’s interest. The ACC also asked for the state’s losses to be calculated and recovered from them.
The housing ministry has recovered only MVR43.8 million of the MVR180.3 million it paid in advances for 25 projects whose contracts were later cancelled, leaving MVR136.5 million outstanding, according to an audit of the ministry’s finances from 2018 to 2023. The largest share, MVR75.3 million, is owed by Dhonbez, which received MVR91.8 million in advances for four housing projects worth MVR612.3 million. Those projects were on average 28.9 per cent complete when cancelled. State utility Fenaka has not returned MVR51.8 million of the MVR63 million it received for 14 water and sewerage projects. The auditor general said the failure to pursue the money breached public finance regulations and advised the minister to act against those responsible and refer the contractors to the procurement appeals board.
The dollar is selling for MVR23.55 on the black market, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Saleem told parliament’s budget committee, after reaching a high of MVR23.70. The day before, MDP MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa told parliament the rate was MVR23. The official rate is MVR15.42.
The exchange rate cannot be allowed to float until usable reserves reach US$1 billion, central bank governor Munawar told the budget committee. The central bank does not control most of the foreign exchange market, where the black market now sets the rate, he said, and floating the rufiyaa any sooner would push the dollar far higher and hit the public hard. The MMA is drawing up a roadmap to ease the dollar shortage, which would include letting the tourism industry pay some taxes in rufiyaa within the next two or three years, Munawar said.
Freedom of expression does not give anyone a right to attack another person’s reputation, Attorney General Ahmed Usham said in a video released by his office. Rights and responsibilities are “two sides of the same coin”, he said, citing Article 67 of the constitution, which sets out citizens’ duties. The right to protest must likewise be exercised peacefully and within the law, Usham said, adding that a strong democracy cannot rest on rights alone. His remarks came as parliament began reviewing a government bill that would make defamation a civil wrong, with damages of up to MVR500,000.
A 34-year-old Maldivian speedboat captain suffered burns on his neck and chest after the vessel docked in the lagoon of a resort in Kaafu Atoll caught fire in the early hours of Tuesday. Police said the fire broke out around 3am and that he was being treated at IGMH.
Two Bangladeshis were arrested following reports of loud and disorderly conduct in an intoxicated state while wearing revealing clothing at the MPL housing towers in Hulhumalé Phase 2, police said.
The economic ministry exempted import duties from the single-use plastic cling films, sheets and tuberolls used for food wrapping.
MTCC was contracted for 22 infrastructure projects across the country, including road projects in Alif Dhaal Hangnameedhoo, Baa Kamadhoo, Kaafu Maafushi, Noonu Maalhendhoo, Raa Angolhitheemu, Raa Vaadhoo, Shaviyani Komandoo and Thaa Vandhoo; coastal protection in Alif Alif Maalhos, Haa Alif Thuraakunu, Haa Alif Vashafaru, Haa Dhaalu Naivaadhoo and Noonu Miladhoo; and harbour upgrades in Kaafu Thulusdhoo, Gaafu Alif Kanduhulhudhoo, Gaafu Alif Nilandhoo, Thaa Kandoodhoo, Thaa Vilufushi and Noonu Holhumeedhoo. It will also build a swimming area and slipway in Haa Dhaalu Vaikaradhoo, develop a beach in Raa Fainu and construct a nine-floor office complex in Fuvahmulah.
Prosecutors submitted an analysis by the Department of National Registration as key evidence in the trial of Thinadhoo Mayor Saud Ali, who stands accused of forgery and providing false information to a state institution to falsify population figures to win city status for the island. Saud denied the charges at the live-streamed Criminal Court hearing. State witnesses also include the report's author, former Thinadhoo councillors and staff, President's Office and Local Government Authority staff who were in contact with the council at the time, people allegedly on the falsified population list, and investigators. The state also submitted the council's resolutions seeking city status, its written correspondence with state institutions and two media interviews Saud gave at the time.
The MDP said the government will borrow at least MVR50 billion more before its term ends, including MVR41 billion domestically, mostly from banks, pushing total debt to MVR174 billion by the end of 2028. The party called on the government to disclose the terms of its loans and expected revenue from the Rasmalé deal before the 2027 budget is passed.
The first couple and a high-level delegation departed to Türkiye to attend the ongoing COP31. Muizzu will deliver the Maldives’ National Statement, participate in high-level events and discussions, and hold bilateral meetings with other leaders.
