Thirty stalls in the Malé Local Market and the Dhathuruveringe Market (local farmers market) have been fined for hiring foreign employees.
The City Council's Henveiru Central Councillor, Adam Rameez, said that the council has issued fines to 30 stalls over the past two months, including repeat offenders.
Foreigners are prohibited from working and conducting business in both the Local Market and the Dhathuruveringe Market, located on the outermost Boduthakurufaanu Magu of Malé.
For first-time offenders, the fine is MVR 2,000, and if the offence is repeated, the fine amount is doubled to MVR 4,000. The council also has the power to confiscate stalls if foreigners are found working there for a third time, but no stalls have been seized yet.
According to Rameez, about 20 of the stalls that were fined were second-time offenders.
It is common for foreigners to operate stalls in Malé City's markets, with some being rented from local parties.
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