Minister Stresses Importance of Regular Dialogue With Businesses

Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed has highlighted the importance of regular dialogue with businesses to identify challenges and improve government services.

He made the remarks while speaking at a ceremony marking the sixth anniversary of Authentic Maldives, a national brand established to support local products and enterprises.

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The minister said the government plans to continue holding dialogue meetings with small businesses in 2026 and 2027, alongside concessions approved by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to support the sector over the next two years. He noted that several concessions and business opportunities were also provided in 2025 as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises.

Authentic Maldives was launched on January 9, 2020, with the aim of promoting, selling, and generating income from locally made products by linking artisans, small businesses, and entrepreneurs to both local and international markets.

The platform currently has more than 407 registered supplier businesses. In 2025, Authentic Maldives facilitated access for its suppliers to the global e-commerce platform Alibaba. Over the past year, total revenue disbursed to suppliers increased from USD 1.71 million in 2024 to USD 2.01 million in 2025.

The programme has also introduced partial dollar payments to suppliers, a measure intended to ease import-related expenses for local businesses.