Hours after President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took the oath of office November 17, the President's Office published a 15-page document compiling his agenda for the first 100 days of the new presidential term. The agenda includes 161 pledges covering 23 sectors with targets set for the first day, the first week, the first month, and the first 60 and 90 days.
The 100-day pledges focused on achieving from minor to major goals in each sector. In this regard, there are several pledges related to enhancing the agriculture industry in Maldives. The pledges focusing on every sector included four main goals for the agriculture industry. The goals include slashing import duty for agricultural products within the first 30 days and slashing the 20% import duty from machinery, tools and fertilisers used in farming.
While the agriculture sector has been enhancing in the country, farmers describe import duty as an additional expense for them. Further, within the first 30 days, the government has decided to establish a system to ensure agricultural produce is safe for health. Meanwhile, within the first 60 days, the government will provide easy ways for individual farmers to access financial loans and credit schemes.