Analysis of governance, public institutions, regulatory frameworks, accountability and the institutional arrangements that shape economic and public policy in the Maldives.
The US dollar trades in the Maldives at prices far above the official exchange-rate band, including through licensed money changers. The resulting question goes beyond the price of the dollar: what does the regulatory framework permit, and who is responsible for ensuring that its rules are followed?
Democracy is more than elections. In the neo-digital age, its resilience increasingly depends on dignity, public trust, credible institutions and the ability to distinguish truth from fear, outrage and manipulation.
A ministry renamed and a governance model reshaped: How centralisation of authority risks weakening oversight and increasing political influence over state enterprises.
The expansion of Velana International Airport delivered major new infrastructure, but questions remain over how effectively individual projects were sequenced and integrated. This case study examines delayed asset utilisation, emerging operational constraints and the role of programme-level oversight.
The debate over combining presidential and parliamentary elections goes beyond administrative cost and electoral timing. It raises wider questions about political incentives, parliamentary accountability, institutional checks and the distribution of state resources in the Maldives.
Trust, reciprocity and community cooperation have long been important features of Maldivian island life. Urbanisation, political polarisation and changing lifestyles are weakening these networks, with implications for social cohesion, governance and long-term development.
Banking and telecommunications offer contrasting lessons about competition in the Maldives. Comparing the two sectors shows how market concentration can affect pricing, innovation, service quality and consumer choice in a small economy.
The Maldives International Financial Centre could become a major source of investment and economic diversification. But a project of this scale requires rigorous due diligence, transparency, legal safeguards and effective public oversight.
Dissolving the Privatization and Corporatization Board could have implications far beyond SOE board appointments, potentially weakening institutional safeguards governing the privatization and corporatization of state assets.
