MP suggests extending expat bank registration to 6 months

An amendment has been proposed to Employment Act to extend the time period given for expatriate workers to open bank accounts in the country where their salaries can go to from three months – staring from August 25 - to six months.

Employment Act was amended on August 17 to make it compulsory for those who hire expatriate workers to open bank accounts for their employees in a legitimate bank operating in Maldives.

Salary and service charge for expatriate workers must go into their bank accounts.

MP Faisal Naseem proposed the amendment to extend the time period to six months during the People’s Majlis sitting last Monday, October 17.

He said that he wanted to make the extension to make it easier for businesses which hire expatriate workers – given that a large number of them work in both inhabited and uninhabited islands across the country – and may not have access to banking.