The Ministry of Finance has revealed that that the Green Fund received USD54 million in the first 10 months of this year.
The Green Fund Report published by the finance ministry show that USD54 million has been deposited in the fund this year while USD32 million has been spent. The statistics show that the green fund now has a total of USD72 million through the balance brought forward from the previous year's end and the income derived from Green Tax during the first ten months of this year.
The statistics also show that the Green Fund received an inflow of USD6.5 million in January, USD6 million in February, USD7 million in March, USD6.1 million in April, USD5.3 million in May, USD3.2 million in June, USD6 million in July, USD5 million in August, USD3.4 million in September, and USD6 million in October.
The Green Fund was introduced in 2016 with the aim of tackling environmental issues in the Maldives as per the Tourism Act of the Maldives. As such, USD6 is charged as Green Tax per tourist for each day they spend at a resort or a hotel in the Maldives, and USD3 is charged as Green Tax per tourist for each day they stay at a guesthouse. In addition, it is used to fund projects such as establishing coastal protection, water supply, waste management, and sewerage systems in various parts of the country.