President's Office deletes statement issued in response to "Dhauru", replacing it with a new one following widespread public criticism

The President's Office has retracted a press release and issued a revised version following public backlash over the language used to describe a report by the news outlet "Dhauru." The original statement, which accused the publication of spreading "outright and blatant lies," was deleted after being criticized for its unprofessional tone.

The news outlet Dhauru has published a report labeling Chief Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef’s (Mundhu) claim as a "blatant lie," after he stated on Sunday that the decision to mandate resorts to convert 40 percent of their foreign currency earnings was made following consultations with resort owners.

In its initial statement refuting the allegations against Shareef, the President's Office dismissed the report as a "blatant lie." However, the choice of language in the official statement drew widespread criticism and concern from the public. Following the backlash, the President's Office deleted the original post and issued a revised statement. In the updated version, the office characterized the claims published by Dhauru as "baseless allegations."

The President's Office further stated that the allegations made in the report published by Dhauru news are false. The report claimed that the Chief Spokesperson at the President's Office had provided misleading information during Sunday's media briefing by stating that the government had consulted and conducted research with tourism industry stakeholders before amending the law to require resorts to exchange 40 percent of their monthly foreign currency earnings. The news outlet characterized the government's decision as a "surprise" to the industry.

Following President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s ratification of the First Amendment to the Foreign Exchange Act on August 31, the statement noted that Category A tourism establishments are now required to convert 40 percent of their monthly gross sales. This amendment removes the previous option of converting a fixed rate of $500 per tourist. The statement further clarified that Category B establishments are now mandated to convert foreign currency at a rate of $25 per tourist or 20 percent of their total gross sales.

The President's Office stated that the recent legislative changes and the broader fiscal reforms were discussed with the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) on multiple occasions. Furthermore, the Office noted that consultations were also held individually with various leadership figures within MATI.

The President's Office stated that the most recent meeting took place on August 23, where senior government officials held extensive discussions with the leadership of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI). The government delegation included Home Minister Ali Ihusaan, Finance Minister Hassan Zareer, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed, Attorney General Ahmed Usham, Tourism Minister Mohamed Ameen, and the Governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority, Ahmed Munawar. According to the President's Office, MATI was represented by six officials at the meeting, led by the association's Vice Chairman, Secretary General, and Deputy Secretary General.

The President's Office stated that a press release issued by MATI on August 24, 2026, confirms the participation of its senior officials in the consultative meetings. Consequently, the office dismissed MATI's claims of not being consulted as factually incorrect. The President's Office further asserted that MATI's expression of sudden surprise is also unfounded. Therefore, the office maintained that the allegations labeling the Chief Spokesperson's statements as a "blatant lie" are themselves contrary to the facts.