The Ministry of Economic Affairs on Sunday announced a list of 23 items to be added to the roster of food essentials the government will supply at affordable prices through the State Trading Organization (STO).
The Cabinet last week made the decision to import 23 food items via STO following widespread complaints regarding the unprecedented high prices of some commonly used food items in the Maldivian market.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu made the announcement, emphasizing that this initiative is a crucial step towards ensuring national food security.
The Economic Ministry's Sunday announcement named the specific food essentials the government will now subsidize. These include several varieties commonly grown in the Maldives.
10 Fruits on the List:
Banana
Apple
Orange
Limes
Passionfruit
Mango
Papaya
Watermelon
Chilli
Grapes
10 Vegetables on the List:
Onion
Ginger
Carrot
Eggplant
Sweet Potato
Garlic
Potato
Cabbage
Pumpkin
Spinach
Other Foods:
Yellow Lentils
Eggs
Coconut
These items are slated to be available at reduced prices starting from the 15th of next month, as stated by Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed.
Many food items have recently seen significant price increases, which traders attribute to the higher cost of dollars required for importing goods. The black market exchange rate for the dollar currently exceeds MVR 20, marking the first time the dollar has maintained such a high valuation in the country for an extended period.
Opposition as well as former government's experts voiced concerns regarding this move, saying this was not 'food security', when the government took on more expenses at a time it is crucial to cut back on government spending. 
Notably, most of the items on these lists are easily grown in Maldives, and needs infrastructure to sustain the agriculture.