Malé, Maldives – The Government of India has made exemptions to allow 7,460 MT of sugar and 12،722 of wheat flour to be delivered to the Maldives despite the export ban on the products as a price stabilization measure in May and June of 2022.
Keeping in view India’s close partnership with the Maldives and the special arrangement for restrictions-free export of staples, the above quantities – to be imported by State Trading Organisation (STO) from India over the next 3-6 months – have been granted the necessary clearances for export.
The Government of India extended the bi-lateral agreement exempting the Maldives from essential commodities export bans imposed by India in 2021 until 2024 in a measure to ensure food security to the island nation.
The Indian government first made the allowance in 2020 amid Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the undisrupted procurement and supply of essential commodities to the Maldives which depends largely on imported products.
The Government of India made exceptions to food items including eggs, potatoes, onions, rice, wheat flour, sugar and dal. Additionally, building materials such as stone aggregates and river sand were also exempted.
The agreement reads that the “export of the above items shall be exempted from any existing or future restriction/prohibition during the agreement period to the Maldives.”
