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Asia and Pacific > Maldives

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Cover High-Level Summary Technical Assistance Reports
Maldives: Mainstreaming Climate Change into Public Financial and Investment Management Green PFM and Climate PIMA
Ozlem Aydin
,
Claude P Wendling
,
Bryn Welham
,
Eivind Tandberg
, and
Juana Aristizabal
An IMF Team assessed the green public financial management (PFM) practices, drawing on the IMF’s Green PFM framework, and conducted a Climate Module of the Public Investment Management Assessment (C-PIMA) in the Maldives. It identified strengths related to the recent public investment management (PIM) reforms, but also several remaining priorities along the budget and investment cycle in the Maldives that affect the efficiency, and its capacity to respond to climate change-related challenges. The mission team makes six priority recommendations in integrating climate change considerations in PFM and PIM practices, prioritized based on the country's capacity, financial resources, and ongoing reform initiatives.
Keywords:
climate change consideration; IMF team; IMF's Green PFM framework; Green PFM practice; climate Pima; Climate change; Budget planning and preparation; Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA)
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Maldives: 2024 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Maldives
International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
The 2024 Article IV Consultation highlights that despite headwinds from the war in Ukraine, the Maldives’ economic recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has shown resilience. Real gross domestic product growth is estimated to moderate to 4.4 percent in 2023, before gradually rising to 5.2 percent in 2024. The discussions focus on comprehensive policy reforms to address fiscal vulnerabilities, stem rising balance of payments pressures, and safeguard financial stability, while supporting sustained strong and inclusive growth. Front-loaded fiscal adjustments, accompanied by tighter monetary and macroprudential policies, are urgently needed to reduce vulnerabilities and restore sustainability of public finances. Adopting macroprudential policies will help mitigate systemic risks stemming from sovereign-bank nexus. Financial sector oversight and crisis management should be further enhanced. Strengthening institutions to support climate adaptation and mitigation efforts and mobilize climate finance is crucial. Improving the business climate, addressing governance and corruption vulnerabilities, and enhancing skill developments will help support strong and inclusive growth.
Keywords:
Maldivian authorities; monetary policy coordination; tourism sector; SARTTAC mission; IMF Policy recommendation; Tourism; Debt sustainability analysis; Climate change; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Maldives: Financial System Stability Assessment; and Press Release
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This paper presents financial system stability assessment (FSSA) report for Maldives. Maldives is a tourism dependent economy with a small financial sector dominated by state-owned banks. Systemic risks stem largely from a growing sovereign-bank nexus, high dollarization, and a shortage of foreign exchange. The Financial Sector Assessment Program concluded that further strengthening of financial sector policies is needed to improve the resilience of the financial system. The authorities should adopt regulation to address frictions in the foreign exchange market, resume liquidity management operations and develop systemic risk indicators. Priority should also be given to establishing a macroprudential framework along with instruments, publishing a financial stability report, and ensuring full reporting of non-bank payment obligations. The financial safety net and crisis management arrangements should be enhanced by improving early intervention mechanisms, introducing recovery and resolution planning, and enhancing the deposit insurance system. In addition, an effective liquidity assistance framework should be established.
Keywords:
World Bank FSAP mission; risk analysis; IMF FSAP stress test result; MMA central government debt holding; FSAP finding; bank capitalization; Financial Sector Assessment Program; Stress testing; Financial sector stability; Global; Asia and Pacific
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Maldives: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Maldives
International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
The 2021 Article IV Consultation highlights that the Maldives is recovering after the historical 2020 fall in tourism, aided by a rapid coronavirus disease 2019-vaccination program rollout. While the prompt and comprehensive policy approach in early 2020 was effective, a more prolonged pandemic and ambitious infrastructure projects are further weakening large pre-pandemic fiscal and external vulnerabilities. The strong (but still partial) recovery in tourism since 2020Q4 has improved the outlook, but fiscal and external positions are projected to remain weak over the medium term, underpinned by current capital expenditure plans. The Maldives has both a high risk of external debt distress and high overall risk of debt distress. The team agreed that a tighter monetary policy stance might be needed to ensure compatibility with the exchange rate peg, lower external imbalances and build-up reserves. They supported the Maldives Monetary Authority’s ongoing efforts to modernize monetary policy and the foreign exchange operations framework, including those aimed at eliminating exchange rate restrictions and multiple currency practices.
Keywords:
positivity rate; program rollout; MMA authorities; staff projection; staff supplement; Maldivian authorities; MMA advance; COVID-19; Capital spending; South Asia; Global; Asia and Pacific
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Maldives: 2022 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Maldives
International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
The 2022 Article IV Consultation discusses that Maldives’ economic activity rebounded strongly from the pandemic-induced contraction, supported by the authorities’ decisive policy measures. Fiscal and external vulnerabilities remain elevated due to rising subsidies, high capital spending, and an increased interest burden. The Maldives has a high risk of external debt distress and a high overall risk of debt distress. Inflation has risen but is relatively contained due to price subsidies. Risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside, including a possible sharp slowdown in key source markets for tourism, high commodity prices, and tighter global financial conditions. A resumption of tourist arrivals from China is an upside risk to growth. The ongoing economic recovery provides an opportunity to swiftly implement a comprehensive set of reforms to reduce fiscal, debt, and external vulnerabilities, and strengthen economic resilience. The report recommends that financial sector policies should remain vigilant to safeguard financial stability considering the large exposure of the banking sector to the sovereign and the expiration of pandemic-related lending support schemes.
Keywords:
parliament approval; MMA authorities; staff appraisal; market in the Maldives; SARTTAC mission; government policy; Government debt management; Capital spending; Global
Cover Technical Notes and Manuals
Gender and Revenue Administration: Principles and Practices
Ms. Katherine Baer
,
Ms. Margaret Cotton
,
Elizabeth Gavin
,
Cindy Negus
, and
Katrina R Williams
This technical note provides an overview of current issues and ideas that revenue administrations can consider regarding gender equality. It discusses the interactions between revenue administrations and gender equality and explores how revenue administrations can administer gender-sensitive tax laws effectively and apply a gender lens when administering tax or trade laws with a view to reducing barriers for women’s employment, entrepreneurship, and trade. It also provides practical considerations for a revenue administration in building gender perspectives in reform plans and shares several examples that highlight targeted measures that have led to positive outcomes in several countries.
Keywords:
fiscal reform; gender equality; gender-sensitive tax laws; inclusive growth; revenue administration; revenue recovery; sustainable growth; gender lens; sex discrimination-law; administering tax; staff distribution; administration staff; Women; Gender inequality; Gender diversity; Sub-Saharan Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Bangladesh: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
Selected Issues
Keywords:
RMG industry; FDI inflow; health spending efficiency; Bangladesh labor force; TFP growth loss; Climate change; Climate finance; COVID-19; Exports; Global; South Asia; Total factor productivity
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Maldives: Technical Assistance Report-Revising the Fiscal Responsibility Act
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
This Technical Assistance report discusses options to revamp the 2013 Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), taking into account the challenges posed by the current context in Maldives. The government has not met the FRA’s numerical targets for fiscal deficits and public debt. In order to ensure fiscal sustainability and enhance transparency, the Maldivian authorities are committed to introducing a new FRA in 2021. The Government needs firm and credible targets for debt and fiscal deficits in its debt-reduction efforts; however, past experiences of noncompliance with the numerical fiscal rules has undermined its credibility. A principles-based approach, accompanied by strong accountability requirements, would provide the authorities with the flexibility to respond to adverse macroeconomic developments. The new FRA would clearly define the specific roles of Parliament and the Auditor General in the fiscal responsibility framework. This report suggests enhancing fiscal oversight by strengthening the role of Parliament and the Auditor General. The report also identifies several areas of public financial management that should be addressed in other PFM laws for the successful implementation of the new FRA.
Keywords:
Maldivian authorities; government document; draft FRA need; documentation requirement; FRA draft; government finance statistics manual; Budget planning and preparation; Fiscal reporting; Fiscal risks; Australia and New Zealand; South Asia
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Maldives: Technical Assistance Report-Fiscal Transparency Evaluation
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
Reflecting an ongoing commitment to enhancing fiscal transparency, Maldives is the first small island state, and the second country in Asia, to have undertaken a Fiscal Transparency Evaluation (FTE). The Government of the Maldives (GoM) recognizes the importance of transparency in fiscal management and in delivering on its ambitious policy agenda, while responding to current challenges within a tight fiscal environment. This report assesses fiscal transparency practices in Maldives against the first three pillars of the IMF’s Fiscal Transparency Code (FTC).
Keywords:
IMF team; FAD expert; staff team of the International Monetary Fund; Maldives pension administration office; housing development finance corporation; Budget planning and preparation; Fiscal risks; Financial statements; Global; South Asia
Cover IMF Working Papers
Enhancing Resilience to Climate Change in the Maldives
Mr. Giovanni Melina
and
Marika Santoro
The increased likelihood of adverse climate-change-related shocks calls for building resilient infrastructure in the Maldives. Fulfilling these infrastructure needs requires a comprehensive analysis of investment plans, including with respect to their degree of climate resilience, their impact on future economic prospects, and their funding costs and sources. This paper analyzes these challenges, through calibrating a general equilibrium model. The main finding is that there is a significant dividend associated with building resilient infrastructure. Under worsened climate conditions, the cumulative output gain from investing in more resilient technologies increases up to a factor of two. However, given the Maldives’ limited fiscal space, particularly after COVID-19, the international community should also step up cooperation efforts. We also show that it is financially convenient for donors to help build resilience prior to the occurrence of a natural disasters rather than helping finance the reconstruction ex-post.
Keywords:
IMF working paper Asia-Pacific; climate condition; climate resilience; adaptation infrastructure; disaster shock; Infrastructure; Natural disasters; Public investment spending; Private investment; South Asia