The Homeland Security Ministry has instructed employers with outstanding employee fees and penalties of less than MVR 100,000 to settle their dues by the 16th of this month.
In an announcement, the ministry said employers who fail to pay their dues by the deadline will be announced publicly, and the issuance of new permits will be suspended for these businesses.
"These employers will be suspended from the expat system, and no new permits will be issued," the ministry said.
The ministry acknowledged receiving complaints from businesses about the challenges of paying all fees and penalties at once. To address these concerns, the government is now allowing businesses to negotiate a payment plan through the expat system, enabling them to spread the payments over an agreed period. Details about the agreement duration and additional information are available on the Expat system.
Earlier in July, the Homeland Ministry released details of employers whose fees and fines exceed MVR 100,000, with the list including over 1,000 businesses. Some of these businesses are among the largest in the Maldives and have political ties, and owe millions in unpaid fees and penalties to the state.
Since the publication of the list, over MVR 182 million has been recovered, according to an August update from the ministry.
