Mohamed Khaleel has said that he resigned from his position as Tourism Advisor because he believes the requirement for resorts to exchange 40 percent of their foreign currency revenue is detrimental to the industry.
Khaleel, who had served as President Mohamed Muizzu’s Tourism Advisor since November 17, 2023, is the Managing Director of Pulse Hotels & Resorts and a shareholder in Manta Air.
Speaking to Adhadhu, Khaleel noted that even when the decision was made to mandate a 20 percent exchange of resort revenue, he had advised that it would not provide a viable solution.
"I did not see the purpose of remaining as a government advisor while such policies are causing harm to the tourism sector," Khaleel said.
Khaleel further stated that despite the increase in the mandatory dollar exchange amount for resorts, he does not anticipate it will provide relief to the country’s ongoing dollar shortage.
He believes that a genuine solution to the nation's financial situation and the dollar crisis can only be achieved through internal government reforms and a reduction in state expenditure.
