MIRA opens for three days this week

Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) announced on Sunday that the building will be open to the public on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of this week to provide necessary services amidst the closure of government offices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to MIRA's announcement, on these three days, the institution will only sell revenue stamps and collect payments that cannot be deposited online, by utilising as few staff members as possible. MIRA noted that all other services will be provided online.

The authority also declared Monday as the deadline for those who failed to submit their tax statements due to the closure of MIRA. Tax payer service centre will be open from 0900hrs to 1300hrs, but will provide services only to those who secure an appointment via the QueueBee mobile application or by calling 1415.

MIRA advises tax payers with appointments to only arrive at the building just before their token number is called to lessen crowding. As a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19, health experts urge everyone to maintain a six-feet distance and avoid gatherings.

Customers using MIRA Connect accounts can submit their tax statements online via the app, and GST returns can also be submitted through MIRA Connect and VaaruPay.

In addition to tax, MIRA requests customers to make other payments online as well, including company annual fee, vehicle fee, vessel fee, traffic violation fines, airport security pass payment, VISA fee and zakat-al-mal, the giving of alms by Muslims having a certain amount of wealth kept for a lunar year.

The authority added that registration, tax clearance, installment and fine relief services will be provided when the allocated forms are submitted online.

Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen, on Friday, extended the state of public health emergency declared in Maldives on March 12, for an additional month. As a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country, government institutions, schools, colleges and universities have been shut down.

Maldives now has 20 confirmed and six active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 14 recoveries. No local to local transmissions have been recorded till date.

The World Health Organization has classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The novel coronavirus has infected over 1.85 million people and claimed over 114,247 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 423,554 people have recovered.