Government can suspend services to Villa if frozen accounts are empty
12 May 2015, 8:08 PM
Minivan News
If the government is unable to recover sums owed to the state by freezing a company’s accounts, it can suspend all services to the company, including customs clearance and foreign worker visas, the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has said.
The tourism ministry yesterday ordered the tax authority to freeze the accounts of all companies with pending bills, including that of the opposition Jumhooree Party leader Gasim Ibrahim’s Villa group.
But Villa officials today told local media that the accounts of the holding company, the Villa Shipping and Trading Pvt Ltd, are empty.
The government is seeking US$90.4 million allegedly owed as unpaid, rent, fines and interest on several properties from Villa group. The conglomerate – which operates businesses in shipping, import and export, retail, tourism, fishing, media, communications, transport, and education – says the notice is unlawful and is contesting it at the civil court.
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