Registration fees for food and beverage services are being halved for a period of two years.
The Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) has announced the decision to reduce this fee and category fees for food and beverage services.
The regulations for registration and license disbursement divide food and beverage services into 14 distinct categories, with a one-time, standardised registration fee set at USD 32.35 for each. However, the new MFDA guidelines set this fee at USD 16.17. In addition to this, the yearly fee which starts at USD 129.39, depending on the category, has also been halved from today onwards.
The currently updated fees are as follows: Cafés, restaurants or similar business registered with the Ministry of Economic Development (USD 129.39), with USD 6.47 per serving area, and each additional 50 chairs (USD 6.47), catering services, bakery shops and pastry shops (USD 64.69), packaged rice-meal takeaway places (USD 129.39), kitchens selling food as a business (USD 129.39), short-eats shops (USD 129.39), drinks-only locations (USD 129.39), and street food, food trucks and similar services (USD 32.35).
In August 23 of 2024, the Food Safety act (Act No. 6/2024), places MFDA under a legal mandate, with the president revising the authority. The biggest responsibility placed on MFDA under this act is the ranking and provision of licenses to food and beverage services. This amendment places MFDA at the forefront of registration and permittance of cafés and restaurants.