Maldives is a small island country in the Indian Ocean. It is one of the smallest Asian countries both in terms of area and population; It has more than one thousand coral islands. Tourist all over the world visits Maldives to enjoy its natural beauty. The economy of Maldives is well developed, currently, its GDP per capita stands at USD 10,535.79.
Tourism and fishing industry are the two main sectors of Maldives. The country earns most of its revenue from these two sectors. The economic growth of Maldives has been powered mainly by the tourism sector. The GDP recorded around $1.5 billion in 2010 and it now it is growing rate a rate 4% per year. Because of its highly developed economy, business personality all over the world wants to invest in Maldives. Here are some of the main reason to invest in Maldives.
There are many advantages of starting a business in Maldives as a foreign investor. The government of Maldives provides different types of business to attract more foreign direct investment. In Maldives the foreign investors mainly focused on the sector of resort management, telecommunication, accounting, and related banking sector. The Ministry of Economic Development is the responsible government body to grant all sort of business licenses in the Maldives. Following are some of the advantage of doing business in Maldives –
Though there are lots of advantage of doing business in Maldives, there is also some disadvantage. The following disadvantage are–
The working weeks in Maldives start from Sunday to Thursday. The standard working hours starting from 8 am, or 9 am to 5 pm or 6 pm. However, the standard workday for all Manufacturing sector is 8 hours. All the banks in Maldives are open from 8.30 am to 2 pm on a normal day. But in Ramadan, the working hour starts from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm.
Most of the shops in the Maldives stay open until 11 pm. However, some of the shops also shut down in the evening around 4 to 6 pm. Most of the business remains shut down for a temporary amount (15 to 20 minutes) during the day for prayers. The government office day runs from Sunday to Thursday from 7.30 am to 2.30 pm. During Ramadan, the office starts from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm.
For opening a business in Maldives, you need to adopt the following 5 points –
If the authorized capital is minimum MVR 10000 the fess charges are MVR 1000.
If the authorized capital is more than 10000 MRV, the payable charges are 4000 MVR and types of income tax in Maldives.
Conclusion
Starting a business in Maldives is much easier than before. The government eases the process of Formation of a company to attract more foreign direct investment. Besides the government also provides many facilities like – lower corporate tax, opportunities for setting up 100% foreign owned company, etc.
However, as a foreigner, you might not know the complete process of Formation of a company. Therefore, it is recommended to take expert advice or to contact a business consulting firm in Maldives. Among many business consulting firm– S & F consulting Firm is one of the best. They assist mainly foreign investor with any types of business problems.
S & F provide service like- foreign Formation of a company, accounting, bookkeeping, auditing and many other services.
Frequently Asked Question
Q: How much fees is required to register a company name in Maldives?
Q: How much is Annual company fee?
Q: Can foreigner setup 100% foreign owned company in Maldives?
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