Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan has announced that Malaysian company Bestinet Sdn Bhd has requested the payment of USD 13.7 million in outstanding fees, following the termination of the Expat Online System Agreement between the company and the Maldives. The agreement, which was terminated in 2019 by the previous government, was halted without adherence to its terms.
Speaking at a press conference, Minister Ihusaan explained that the Expat Online System managed by Bestinet was responsible for monitoring and providing medical and other essential services to Bangladeshi immigrants in the Maldives. He revealed that the previous administration made the decision to halt the arrival of Bangladeshi immigrants without any prior communication with Bestinet. As a result, the company sought compensation for the losses incurred, requesting payment from the Maldivian government in 2022.
Regarding the settlement agreement, Minister Ihusaan disclosed that it stipulated the Maldives was responsible for covering the company’s losses. However, no payments have been made to Bestinet to date. He also highlighted that the Settlement Committee was abolished when the current government assumed office, leading to renewed discussions with the company to explore potential solutions.
Given the current economic situation, rather than compensating for Bestinet's losses, the government and the company reached an agreement in May to develop an enhanced system. Minister Ihusaan expressed optimism about the new system, which will assist in monitoring expatriate fees and increasing government revenue. He emphasized that the system would help reduce the number of parties failing to make regular expatriate fee payments. The minister also noted that the expenses for managing the system will be covered by the revenue it generates.