Amendments set to be submitted to parliament soon aim to restore MIRA's enforcement powers, allowing it to address challenges in collecting billions owed to the State.
Attorney General Ahmed Usham announced that amendments to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) Act will soon be introduced to grant the authority greater powers to enforce tax compliance and recover all dues owed to the government.
Usham said that, while MIRA had been effective in enforcement prior to 2020, changes made to the Tax Administration Act during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih limited its authority.
Amendments set to be submitted to parliament soon aim to restore MIRA's enforcement powers, allowing it to address challenges in collecting billions owed to the state.
Statistics indicate that MIRA is owed MVR 10 billion, including MVR 4.3 billion in resort rent and MVR 5.5 billion in taxes.
Usham said that enforcement issues have hindered the agency’s ability to recover significant amounts.
Currently, MIRA is only authorized to collect taxes, while the Attorney General’s Office is responsible for recovering other types of payments due to the state.
The proposed amendments will shift this responsibility entirely to MIRA, empowering the authority to recover all State dues, including non tax payments.