New Terminal, Unpaid Taxes, Intellectual Property

Wednesday, April 20

Legislation proposed by the government to reduce the annual tourism land rent was accepted by parliament. The bill proposes different rates based on location with lower amounts for resort islands in northern and southern atolls.

Wednesday, April 20

Tuesday, April 19

The Velana International Airport shared exterior designs of its new passenger terminal with wave-shaped arches and homages to the carvings on ancient coral stone mosques.

The structure of the new terminal is done but the full project is expected to be completed in 2023, according to the state-owned airport operator. Developed by the Saudi Binladin Group with financing from Middle Eastern development funds, the 78,000-square meter terminal can accommodate up to 7.5 million passengers annually, resolving space constraints faced by the existing terminal.

Tuesday, April 19

The Maldives Airports Company Ltd announced the appointment of Mahjoob Shujau as the state-owned company’s new managing director.

Monday, April 18

The tax authority is owed MVR22 billion (US$1.4 billion) in unpaid taxes from 2020, according to an audit report for the year. The bulk of it was MVR17 billion owed as resort lease rent, mainly from investors who failed to open hotels by the end of the construction period.

Monday, April 18

New regulation for employment agencies was enacted with fines for operating without a license, including MVR50,000 (US$3,243) with an additional MVR5,000 per foreign worker for manpower supply. Unlicensed recruitment and permit management will also be subject to fines. For registration, agencies must keep deposits between MVR50,000 and MVR3 million, depending on category.

Maldivian artist Ali Shimhaq won a copyright infringement lawsuit against American musician Aaron Carter, who illegally used digital artwork from Shimhaq’s Facebook page in September 2019. The local artist was awarded an undisclosed amount as compensation by a New York district court.

Saturday, April 16

The Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company reimposed a purchasing limit of seven tonnes per fishing vessel.

The state-owned company lifted controls in the face of protests last week and agreed to weigh all the fish caught by more than 60 boats queued at the Kooddoo fisheries complex, a buildup that took days to clear.

Fish catch exceeded MIFCO’s storage capacity with a bountiful season in the south.

Saturday, April 16