More than 30,000 businesses across the Maldives are set to receive significant financial relief under a realignment of expatriate labour policies aimed at stabilising smaller enterprises, according to the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.
The new measures, which came into effect on 1 April, grant micro, small and medium-sized enterprises a full exemption from foreign labour quota fees for their first 20 employment quotas. By removing the annual fee of USD 129.74 for each utilised quota, the government has lifted a substantial financial burden for tens of thousands of smaller businesses.
Eligible business owners can access the relief from Wednesday through the government’s centralised Xpat Online System. The administrative reform follows directives issued by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to strengthen the small business sector and responds to concerns raised by business owners during a consultative meeting held on 17 December last year.
The expansion of relief is accompanied by strict safeguards to prevent misuse of the exemptions. Regulations explicitly prohibit multiple claims by businesses that share the same shareholders, owners or partners, in a move aimed at preventing potential exploitation, including risks linked to human trafficking.
The ministry stated that these measures form part of a broader two-year macroeconomic strategy to address structural challenges within the national economy. In addition to immediate fee relief, authorities are establishing a comprehensive system to accurately collect and manage data on the country’s expatriate workforce, with the long-term aim of expanding the capacity and economic contribution of small businesses.