Malé, Maldives – MP for Kurendhoo constituency Abdul Ghani Abdul Hakeem has submitted a bill to prevent migrant-run businesses behind the screen of Maldivians.
The amendment proposal to the Business Registration Act (Law No. 18/2014) states that there are a number of businesses run by migrants workers under the guise of Maldivians that pose a risk to small and medium businesses owned by Maldivians. In addition, the bill proposes amendments to alleviate difficulties faced by local businesses.
The amendment proposes adding a clause to the cancellation of the business license in cases where the registrar has conclusive evidence that the profits of the business directly or indirectly goes to a foreigner. The fines for offenders are also proposed to be increased from MVR 20,000 to MVR 100,000.
Another proposed amendment is to ensure that if the owner resides out of Maldives, the person in charge is a Maldivian national.
