The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has revealed that government revenue from quota fees has doubled this year, attributed to enhanced enforcement measures for collecting fees from foreign labourers.
The latest revenue report released by MIRA show that the government collected USD 15 million in quota fees by August this year, which is a 123% increase compared to USD 7 million during the same period last year. Notably, quota fees increased by 33.7%, in August alone, reaching USD 2.3 million, up from USD 1.8 million in August of the previous year.
The fees are processed through the expatriate management system (Xpat). The government mandates that individuals and companies with outstanding fees and penalties exceeding USD 6,500 must settle their debts. Currently, there are over 50,000 individuals and companies employing foreign workers in the Maldives. The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has stated that over 90%, which is more than 45,000 individuals, fail to pay their fees regularly.