The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has announced that MVR 74 million out of the MVR 1.7 billion owed to the government in expatriate fees has been paid by employers, which amounts to 4.35% of the total money owed. This payment pertains to 102,807 expatriate workers registered under 10,619 Maldivian employers.
Earlier, on June 18, the ministry mandated that all employers with registered expatriate workers must settle all outstanding fees related to their expatriate employees. According to State Minister of Homeland Security Abdul Majeed Ibrahim, the government has received MVR 74 million in payments as of Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference held by the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology on Sunday, Abdul Majeed Ibrahim stated, “According to our reviews, employers owed MVR 1.7 billion in expat fees, and fines incurred owing to non-payment of said fees. In the last month, the state received MVR 74 million out of this total.”
He further highlighted that employers now owe an outstanding total of MVR 1.6 billion in expatriate fees.
In a related effort, the Maldives government has formed a special task force aimed at curtailing the entry and presence of illegal immigrants and expatriates who own and run businesses illegally. This task force has been actively conducting regular raids, resulting in the deportation of 2,013 undocumented immigrants back to their home countries.
The government’s initiatives underscore its commitment to addressing the issues surrounding expatriate labour and ensuring that employers comply with the necessary regulations. The recovery of the outstanding fees is a crucial step towards maintaining the integrity of the expatriate workforce in the Maldives and ensuring that all parties adhere to legal and financial obligations.
