Former Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer has accused the government of deliberately harming the economy through its recent approach toward the business community.
In a post on X, Ameer expressed concern over President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's public criticism of Maldivian businessmen, calling the move irresponsible. He also described the Maldives' current economic and fiscal policy as failing.
Ameer warned that the government’s aggressive stance against businesses could worsen economic instability. He claimed the state was withholding billions of rufiyaa from private companies, pushing many toward bankruptcy and limiting their ability to access loans. He also pointed out the rising dollar rate in the black market as a sign of economic strain.
He said the government's actions show that it has no intention of addressing these challenges.
Citing official figures, Ameer noted that the government contributed just 8.6%—equivalent to MVR 8.8 billion—of the MVR 101 billion GDP last year, while the remaining 91.4% was generated by the private sector. He warned that excessive state interference could damage small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Ameer also criticized the government's growing political appointments and failure to curb public expenditure.
The opposition has repeatedly raised similar concerns, accusing the administration of sidelining SMEs and awarding major projects exclusively to state-owned companies, which they argue could have long-term negative consequences for the economy.
In a post on X, Ameer expressed concern over President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's public criticism of Maldivian businessmen, calling the move irresponsible. He also described the Maldives' current economic and fiscal policy as failing.
Ameer warned that the government’s aggressive stance against businesses could worsen economic instability. He claimed the state was withholding billions of rufiyaa from private companies, pushing many toward bankruptcy and limiting their ability to access loans. He also pointed out the rising dollar rate in the black market as a sign of economic strain.
He said the government's actions show that it has no intention of addressing these challenges.
Citing official figures, Ameer noted that the government contributed just 8.6%—equivalent to MVR 8.8 billion—of the MVR 101 billion GDP last year, while the remaining 91.4% was generated by the private sector. He warned that excessive state interference could damage small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Ameer also criticized the government's growing political appointments and failure to curb public expenditure.
The opposition has repeatedly raised similar concerns, accusing the administration of sidelining SMEs and awarding major projects exclusively to state-owned companies, which they argue could have long-term negative consequences for the economy.
