The Maldives needs smarter policies to address the squeeze being felt nationwide, from businesses to household budgets, as sharp fuel price hikes linked to the Gulf crisis feed through the economy. On 5 March, Maldivians woke up to the largest fuel price increase in recent years. Petrol at Fuel Supply Maldives (FSM) pumps rose from MVR 13.50 to MVR 16.01 per litre, while diesel increased from MVR 13.92 to MVR 17.54, a jump of roughly 18 to 26 percent in a single step. In an e

A referendum on 4 April asks Maldivians to vote on electoral consolidation. The real question is whether our institutions serve the public or the people who control them. On 4 April, Maldivians will vote in a referendum on whether presidential and parliamentary elections should be held on the same day within a single electoral cycle rather than as separate contests held months apart. The government’s case appears straightforward; one election instead of two, lower administrat

The announcement of the Maldives International Financial Centre (MIFC) is one of the most ambitious projects in the country's history....