A meeting of the tourism industry association, MATI, has heated up over the amendment to the law requiring resorts to exchange 40% of their dollar earnings.
What happened? - During a meeting held last Tuesday with figures from the tourism industry, a verbal altercation took place between the association's Chairman Hussain Afeef (Champa Afeef) and President Mohamed Muizzu's Tourism Advisor Mohamed Khaleel, who recently resigned out of dissatisfaction with the dollar exchange issue.
Details - In yesterday's meeting, Khaleel, a shareholder in a company that operates several resorts as well as Manta Air in the Maldives, called on MATI to take the issue to court due to concerns surrounding the amendments made to the law.
"MATI needs to speak up for the rights of its members, instead of leaving members to advocate for their own rights alone. Otherwise, there is no point in having a [MATI] membership," he said.
Khaleel stated that he believes the amendments to the law are illegal. He said that this change "must be challenged."
In response to this, MATI Chairman Afeef said that while Khaleel was serving as the President's Advisor, he believes he should have done his homework.
"Shouldn't you have shared what you just said with the President? You were serving as an advisor, weren't you?" he said.
In response, Khaleel said that is exactly why he resigned from his post.
"That is why I resigned. Because [the President] did not listen to what I had to say," he said.
During the meeting, Khaleel strongly urged all MATI members to work together.
"As an association and as the lobbying body for the tourism sector, MATI needs to take a legal route in this matter. Meeting with the government and the minister will not solve this issue," Khaleel said, pointing out that previous meetings with the government had brought no progress or solutions to their concerns.
"I personally believe the government has no right to order us to exchange 40% of the revenue our businesses earn, and destroy businesses."
"Everyone present in this forum also agrees that business cannot be done by exchanging 40% of dollar earnings. Protecting businesses is the responsibility of the government. If that cannot be done, what is the point of having a government?"
He stated that if efforts are made to find a solution to these concerns, they will be successful.
"I know this is a banana republic. The judiciary might not work in the most desirable way. But it is our responsibility to take this matter to court and see what happens next," Khaleel said.
When Khaleel called the Maldives a banana republic, Afeef said he does not accept that statement.
"I love my country very much. This is not a banana republic. Those who hate the country can call it that. But to me, this is our country. I will always defend the country in situations where it needs to be defended," he said.
Responding to Afeef's remarks, Khaleel questioned whether, while working in defense of the country, he would just stand by and watch the country's economy be destroyed.
"No. If that is the case, why didn't you speak against it when the law was amended to exchange 20% of revenue? Weren't you the [President's] advisor at the time?" Afeef retorted.
"I did speak about it," Khaleel said in response to Afeef.
Noting that he did not want to debate and argue the matter further, Afeef stated that MATI has worked with various governments. He added that whenever there is a concern, solutions are brought about through consultation.
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