Ministry of Finance has revealed that the Green Fund consisted of USD50 million by end of 2022.
The Green Fund Report published by the finance ministry shows that USD63 million was received and USD59 million was spent in 2022. It also shows that the highest amount of funds was received in May with USD6.2 million.
Additionally, USD4.9 million were placed in the Green Fund in December, of which USD1.7 million were collected as Green Tax in Kaafu Atoll. The amount includes USD1.6 million collected from resorts and USD104,000 collected from guesthouses. The second highest amount in Green Tax was collected from resorts in Raa Atoll with USD500,000.
The Green Fund was introduced in 2016 with the aim of tackling environmental issues in the Maldives as per the Tourism Act of the Maldives. As such, USD6 is charged as Green Tax per tourist for each day they spend at a resort or a hotel in the Maldives, and USD3 is charged as Green Tax per tourist for each day they stay at a guesthouse.