Maldives Customs has announced a new policy to publicly disclose the names of individuals and businesses that fail to settle their outstanding payments.
Under the policy, Customs will release details including the name of the defaulter, business registration number, permanent address or Customs registration number, the amount owed, and the reason for payment. The measure applies to cases where unpaid amounts exceed MVR 10,000.
Before publishing any information, Customs will notify the individual or business in writing and provide an opportunity to make the payment or reach an agreement. If the payment is not completed or no agreement is reached, the names of defaulters will first be listed on the Customs website.
If the dues remain unpaid for 15 days after the initial posting, the names will then be published in the Government Gazette and shared on Customs’ official social media platforms.
However, the policy states that the names of government institutions, majority state-owned companies, and individuals who have passed away while engaged in government projects will remain confidential.
Customs noted that the first list of defaulters will be made public within 10 days after the policy comes into effect.