According to Edition on July 5th, Ahmed Niyaz, Deputy Director of Maldives Customs Service, announced that starting next month, all previous tax exemptions for the import of e-cigarettes and energy drinks will be canceled.
Niaz mentioned in a dialogue with the National Media Public Service Media (PSM) that there have been two major changes brought about by the recent revision of customs regulations.
One of the changes is the cancellation of tax exemptions for certain imported goods.
Niaz explained that as of August 1st, previously granted tax exemptions on cigarettes, other tobacco products, e-cigarette devices, and energy drinks will be discontinued.
The Maldives has signed numerous international treaties relating to health. These treaties do not encourage tax exemptions for products such as tobacco.
Some items that will no longer enjoy tax exemptions include: cigarettes; e-cigarettes; energy drinks; plastic bags; disposable plastics; and land transport vehicles. Niaz highlighted that the second change is the increase of the duty-free import limit from 6,000 Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) (388.16 USD) to 10,000 Maldivian Rufiyaa (646.94 USD).
The main reason for increasing this tax-free threshold is to expedite customs clearance when importing a large quantity of goods from places like Shein. When the limit was 6,000 Maldivian Rufiyaa, packages had to be opened and inspected. With the limit raised to 10,000 Maldivian Rufiyaa, goods can now be cleared without the need to open and inspect the documents.
However, he added that this does not apply to local businesses. He pointed out that if the quantity of imported goods indicates that they are for commercial purposes, this tax exemption will not be granted.
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