A number of changes has been brought to the Maldives Customs Service's Customs General Regulation, which includes significant changes to the current fee structure and procedures being followed in Uligan island of Haa Alif atoll for the anchoring of tourist yachts.

Following the amendments, the Regulation Number 2011/R-41 has since been publicized in the government gazette, on May 23.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Corporation (MITDC) revealed that there has been a major decline in the number of tourist yachts anchoring to Uligan since 2010, following specific regulations imposed by the government including a hike in fees.

During the campaign for the presidential elections 2018, incumbent president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had pledged to amend the current fee structure in order to increase the number of yachts visiting the island which will in turn boost the island’s yacht tourism.

In light of the pledges, MITDC and customs initiated a symposium under “Uligan Yacht Symposium” on January 30. During the symposium, stakeholder discussions were held to study the possible avenues that may ease the fees and pave way for the island’s yacht tourism to develop further.

The one-day symposium concluded successfully, after respective authorities gave their full assurance to work together to tackle the issues at hand.

With the changes brought to the regulation, and compared to the fees charged earlier by customs, the charges have been reduced by 75%. This change will ease and further develop the yacht tourism in Uligan.

The changes brought under the ninth amendment include:

Under this clause, tourists travelling to the Maldives will be given a duration of 72 hours to appoint a shipping agent, after the inward clearance is approved. Should they fail to do so, a fine will be imposed on the vessel owner in accordance with the regulation. Under the clause, outward clearance will be given once the fine has been paid to the authority.

Tourist vessel measuring 15 meters or smaller will be granted seven days without needing to appoint a shipping agent, to moor or transit in the Maldives for the provision of food, oil, water or other basic necessities. These vessels may anchor at a location approved by the customs.

Under this clause, tourist vessels smaller than 15 meters are required to submit an estimated time of arrival prior to 12 hours of arriving to the Maldives. However, if this is not possible, documents for inward clearance are required to be submitted along with the reason for not being able to be informed during the mentioned time frame.

Changes to the estimated time of arrival shall be informed via mediums set by the customs service, through e-mail, under this clause.

Whereas a MVR 1,000 fee was previously charged one way for the service of inward and outward clearance, it has been changed to MVR 250 (one way) for tourist vessels smaller than 15 meters.

However, MVR 1,000 will be charged for bigger vessels.

MITDC revealed that the amendments brought to the regulation are mainly regarding services provided to the smaller tourist vessels that regularly anchor in Uligan. The company is tasked with The Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Corporation is tasked with “enhancing tourism sector gains and promoting participation of small and medium sized businesses in the sector” and has assured the people that it will provide the required support to develop yacht tourism in the island.