GMR amongst last year’s tax avoiders

GMR, the company once recruited by the first MDP government to take over the operation of Velana International Airport, has been listed amongst the companies that avoided GST, T-GST and Withholding Tax and failed to file their tax reports.

The company was compensated with USD 300 million by the Maldives upon the termination of the agreement signed between former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration and GMR.

TMJ has learned that GMR still owes some tax payments to Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) and that the government has attempted to dismiss the owed payments.

VIA was given to GMR at a very small profit rate and GMR was allowed to sell airport facilities and amenities as they pleased to yield maximum revenue.

The profit received through jet fuel trading, the airport facility that generated the most income, was set to offer a small portion of its income to the government.

Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Qayyoom spearheaded a billion American Dollars project to redevelop the national airport after the GMR agreement was terminated. When his term ended, the runway development from the first Phase of the VIA redevelopment project was completed and the work of the fuel farm and cargo village were nearing completion. Additionally, the majority of the seaplane terminal was also completed.

The passenger terminal development scheduled under phase two of the VIA redevelopment project came to a stop and progressed at a slow pace during the course of this administration. Eventhough, the work on the phase two of the project has resumed, it is progressing slowly and is behind schedule.