Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has revealed discussions have been held to reopen the Maldivian borders on July 16.
Speaking at the parliament sitting on June 22, Speaker Nasheed said the government is currently finalising plans to reopen borders and restart the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic. He said although a specific date has not been finalised yet, discussions have been held to reopen borders on July 16.
The Parliament of the Maldives has passed a proposal not to impose any additional taxes or fees on tourists arriving in the country when borders are opened. The proposal was one of the amendments brought to the report prepared by the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs in relation to the Maldives Safe Tourism Guideline formulated by the Ministry of Tourism.
The guideline of the tourism ministry initially stated USD 50,000 would be charged as a special fee to allow private jets and chartered flights to land in the Maldives. In addition, a special fee of USD 100 was proposed to be charged from each tourist, while an additional USD 100 was to be charged for COVID-19 testing. However, these fees have been removed upon the decision of the parliament.
Parliamentarians who took part in the deliberations on the report stated charging additional fees on tourists would not be the right way forward as the country looks to welcome back tourists and rebuild the tourism industry. They noted it would be best to find alternative means to generate income to the country.
Meanwhile, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has revealed Velana International Airport (VIA) is ready to resume operations under the new normal conditions. MACL predicts flight movements to be low under the new normal conditions, with 10 international flights and 15-20 domestic flights expected to land at the airport daily.