The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology announced on Sunday that 3,159 entities have requested to pay a total of MVR 254 million under a special instalment plan to settle pending fees and fines related to foreign workers.
The outstanding amount includes MVR 188 million in work permit fees, MVR 63 million in quota fees, and MVR 2.7 million in cancellation fees. The ministry has granted a one-year period for the amount to be settled through the instalment plans.
In response to non-payment, the ministry has suspended 7,500 individuals from accessing the Xpat system, used for managing expatriate workers in the Maldives. The suspensions are due to repeated failure to pay the required fees.
There are 139,000 foreign workers in the Maldives who have been issued permits, but only 36 per cent are paying the fees regularly, according to the ministry.