The government is looking into the possibility of setting up a table salt production and processing operation in the country, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed has announced. In a press briefing last Saturday, Minister Saeed unveiled that the Business Centre Corporation (BCC), a division under the economic ministry, has been assigned to conduct feasibility studies to assess the viability of salt production and processing in the Maldives.
Highlighting the administration’s commitment, Saeed emphasised that the Mohamed Muizzu administration prioritises exploring and harnessing the economic resources available in the Maldives. “We have to do everything possible to reap the best benefits of our vast ocean resources,” stated Saeed, underlining the significance of conducting a study on the viability of introducing salt production and processing facilities in the Maldives.
Minister Saeed pointed out that the Maldives currently imports various types of table salt, and the government aims to establish salt production and processing facilities to meet the country’s needs. The government is in discussions with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to secure financial assistance for the studies, he added.
Saeed further elaborated, “For the tourism industry, we import very high-quality salt. For local use, too, we are importing types of salt, all of which we want to start production in the Maldives.” The economic minister revealed that the government aims to introduce and commence the production and processing of salt in the Maldives within its five-year term.
During the Abdulla Yameen administration, there were discussions about introducing salt production and processing facilities in the Maldives. However, no studies were conducted at the time to assess the feasibility of such a venture.