MIRA: Details of the islands issued by MMPRC are unclear

Maldives Inlands Revenue Authority (MIRA) has said that they do not know the details of the islands issued by the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) for resort development.

Director General of Audit and Investigation at MIRA, Fathuhulla Jameel told Sun Media today that if the Tourism Ministry has issued an island where a payment is required, MIRA is working to claim that money. He said that if an island is issued to any companies or persons, MIRA would be notified by the Tourism Ministry.

“We may then no know the things done by Government companies. That is, issuing resorts is at Tourism Ministry. That Ministry issues islands and tell MIRA that this island has been issued, collect the money that way. That is how we go on about collecting money.” Fathuhulla said.

Police are now investigating a large sum of money owed to the state from the islands issued by MMPRC. And the Audit Office is currently auditing the MMPRC.

Speaking at the budget committee, the current Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer said that the money owed to the state by MMPRC would be found. Minister Zameer said that 60 islands are in question, 20 percent of the revenue from some of the islands and lagoons have already been collected. He said that the remaining 80 percent would be collected to the state with transparency.