The state has collected USD 84.31 million in green tax revenue during the first seven months of the year, according to statistics released by the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority, marking a steady increase from the same period last year.
Receipts from January through July represented a 5.8 per cent rise compared with the USD 77.82 million recorded during the corresponding period last year, the authority detailed in its July revenue report. Collections denominated in United States dollars also experienced upward momentum over the seven-month span. Total dollar-denominated receipts reached USD 88 million, climbing 5.8 per cent from the USD 83 million gathered over the same timeframe last year, according to official figures.
Established in October 2016 to fund environmental preservation initiatives across the country, the levy is assessed on tourists staying at resorts, hotels, and guesthouses, as well as those travelling aboard safari vessels. Under the current regulatory framework, guests at resorts, hotels, and safari vessels pay a daily rate of USD 12, whereas visitors lodging at local guesthouses pay a reduced charge of USD 6. Children under the age of two remain exempt.
Revenue yielded by the levy is allocated by the government to fund crucial environmental projects across islands nationwide. Central to the nation's environmental strategy, these initiatives encompass coastal protection programmes, clean environment projects, and the development of water, sewerage, and sustainable drinking water systems.