Maldives Customs Service waives USD 1 million from import duty for COVID-19 related products from January to May this year.
Customs revealed the amount waived from January to May amounted to USD 1.05 million following the decision of the government to waive the import duty and processing fee taken from COVID-19 related products. The government decided to waive import duty and processing fee of COVID-19 related products such as goggles, protective gowns, coveralls, hazmat suits, surgeon caps, shoe covers, gloves, face shields, masks in addition to hand wash products and sanitisers. Due to the increase in demand of COVID-19 related products, import of such items increased significantly in the first four months of the year.
Article 8 of Import-Export Act of the Maldives states the president shall have the discretion, in the case of a special circumstance, to waive payment of import duty, or part of it, for items imported for the general benefit of the public, or for the general benefit of the people on an island of the Maldives.