Seven months have passed since Maldives Customs Service last disclosed the identities of individuals and entities with outstanding payments, despite regulations under the Maldives Customs Act mandating public disclosure.
Under the policy established last year, the list of debtors was only published once, in October. Although the regulations require the list to be updated and publicized every two months, it has now been seven months since the last update.
When questioned by Adhadhu regarding the failure to release the list, Maldives Customs Service has yet to provide a response.
According to the only list published by Customs to date, 503 parties have outstanding fines. The largest single debtor identified is Sultans of the Seas, which owes MVR 110 million in unpaid import duties and accumulated fines.
The list further reveals 16 entities with outstanding payments exceeding MVR 10 million, while 57 parties owe between MVR 1 million and MVR 10 million. The list includes many foreign nationals and private companies.
Under the enforcement policy, if an outstanding payment exceeds MVR 10,000 and the deadline passes, Customs is required to issue a written notice before publishing the debtor's name on its official website.
The regulations outline a phased disclosure process: information is first published on the official Customs website, followed by the Government Gazette, and later on the agency’s official social media platforms.
The policy specifies a 15-day interval between each stage of the disclosure process.
According to the rules, a name may be removed from the list if the party settles the debt in full or enters into a formal payment agreement with Customs. However, names published in the Government Gazette are not removed once they have been gazetted.
