Economy.
Prominent tourism businessman Champa Hussain Afeef noted that the government's plan to develop 10 resorts to directly benefit the public is a very significant and positive change for the Maldivian tourism sector, expressing interest in participating in the project. In addition, under the 8th amendment to the Goods and Services Tax Act, foreign tour operators and online booking platforms without a permanent establishment in the Maldives began to be charged 17 percent TGST on tourism services sold and were mandated to register with MIRA, changes that took effect starting 1 October 2026.
Prominent Maldivian tourism businessman Champa Mohamed Afif spoke on 4 October 2026 regarding the government's decision to develop 10 resorts with public shareholding. In this regard, he highlighted the government's decision as an important step toward increasing the benefits the general public receives from the tourism industry and delivering direct economic benefits to the citizens. He also noted in his remarks that the cooperation of industry experts and private businesses would be necessary to successfully carry out such projects.
The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) is working on implementing amendments brought to the Goods and Services Tax Act to collect TGST from offshore booking platforms registered abroad, foreign tour operators, and travel agents. Under these amendments, foreign online platforms and operators selling Maldivian tourism services will be required to register with MIRA and pay taxes according to the established regulations. Although it is expected that these changes will strengthen the tax system and increase state revenue, some parties in the tourism industry and the political opposition are expressing concern, stating that this could pose administrative challenges for foreign operators.
