Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed has stated that the government will stop businesses being run illegally by foreigners. He made the remark while responding to a question at the ministerial forum regarding the government's plan to curb illegal foreign businesses.
Speaking at the forum, Minister Saeed said the government is also concerned about the issue of foreigners operating unauthorized businesses. Therefore, he said the government is working with the relevant authorities to solve the issue with the cooperation of the public and businesses.
Additionally, Minister Saeed highlighted the challenges in stopping illegal foreign businesses, adding that some of the businesses are operating with the support of Maldivians. He clarified that in many instances the businesses are registered in the name of a local but are run by a foreigner. As such, the business can be justified as legal operations during normal inspections.
Minister Saeed said the Maldives Police Service has been instructed to investigate suspicious businesses and share information about them. He said action would be taken against such businesses once the information is provided. He added that the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works has been requested to compile a register of expatriates on each island to identify those living illegally in the Maldives.