The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has proposed a foreign exchange bill to Parliament, proposing concessions to its controversial rules mandating tourist facilities to exchange fixed amounts of US dollars for Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR). The amendments aim to address concerns from the tourism sector while retaining the regulation’s primary objectives.
The proposed changes exempt children under two years, tourists on complimentary packages, and those spending less than 24 hours at resorts from the mandated US$500 exchange per tourist. Additionally, tourist facilities on inhabited islands—regardless of bed count—would only need to exchange US$25 per guest.
President Mohamed Muizzu’s earlier insistence that the policy would not be changed has come under renewed scrutiny. Critics on social media have pointed out the apparent contradiction, citing his emphatic statement, “We are not going to change this rule. We will not change it.” The proposed concessions are being viewed as significant adjustments to the original regulation, which was introduced on 1 October and is set to take effect on 1 January 2025.
Under the current rule, resorts must exchange US$500 per tourist at local banks, while guesthouses and smaller facilities are required to exchange US$25 per guest. The MMA clarified that these requirements remain in place until the proposed bill becomes law, at which point the regulation would need to be amended to reflect the concessions.
The policy has faced backlash from resort operators and industry leaders, with over 50 resorts formally rejecting its applicability. Prominent figures, including Mohamed Moosa of Crown & Champa Resorts and Mohamed Umar Maniku of Universal Group, argue that the regulation could destabilise the tourism sector, which heavily depends on USD revenue for essential expenditures such as payroll, supplier payments, and taxes.