The Parliament Committee on Economic Affairs has passed the amendment on to reduce the import duty levied on fuel from the current 10 percent to five percent.

The amendment was passed by the Committee without any changes in the Monday night session of the Committee.

The opposition figures had presented a motion to remove the duty. The motion was proposed by Kimbidhoo Constituency MP Abdullah Riyaz and supported by Gamu Constituency MP Fayyaz Ismail. This motion had been rejected by the Committee.

Parliament Majority Leader and ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives Parliamentary Group Leader Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik said that any change to duties and tariffs levied can only be issued by the Government and not by individual MPs.

The amendment was put to the Parliament by MP Nihan on behalf of the Government, in Monday’s sitting of the Parliament. The Parliament had accepted the amendment and voted to pass the bill before next Monday. Thirty-seven MPs who had participated in the vote had unanimously voted for the motion.