Customs service for clearing goods arriving by air has been extended to operate 24 hours a day.
The decision follows a recent meeting between the President and representatives of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), during which the businesses shared their concerns over the clearance process. To address these concerns, the President had assured that clearance operations would be extended to 24 hours from the existing 18-hour schedule.
An announcement by Maldives Customs Service has since confirmed that the change is now in effect.
Other pledges made to SMEs during the meeting include extending the demurrage-free period from 80 hours to 124 hours. The President acknowledged that high demurrage charges were causing significant losses for businesses, and assured that issues related to both the airport and seaport would be addressed.