The Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage has stated the Heritage Trust Fund had received USD 122,626 by the end of last year.
The ministry reconstituted the Heritage Trust Fund committee in May 2019 with representatives from 8 other ministries. The committee is tasked with overseeing the fund as well as planning and organising projects and activities for the preservation of Maldivian heritage.
The ministry revealed there was a total of USD 67,071 in the fund before the reconstitution of the fund committee, while the figure rose to USD 128,290 by the end of the year. Donations to the fund were made by different organisations, businesses and individuals to preserve the heritage of Maldives. The fund also includes entrance fees collected from the National Museum of Maldives and the royal palace in Utheemu, Haa Alifu Atoll.
As part of the heritage ministry’s efforts to preserve heritage sites across the country, the ministry has recently announced a list of ancestral sites in Maldives. The list includes over 400 sites located in different parts of the country.