Majlis backs cutting fuel duty by 5 percent

People’s Majlis has voted in approval of the amendment to Import/Export Act to cut duty on fuel by five percent.

The bill was submitted to People’s Majlis on behalf of the government by Majority Leader, Vilimale’ MP Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik.

73 MPs present during this Wednesday’s Majlis sitting voted in approval of the bill.

People’s Majlis, in November 2011 voted to take no duty on fuel imported into the country. The decision was overridden in 2014 during President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s presidency when Majlis voted to take 10 percent as duty on fuel.

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs had pushed to cut the duty on fuel altogether. But the proposal was rejected with the vote of 42 MPs. The duty on fuel will instead be cut to half.