Duty lowered on two types of items and raised on 11 types

Customs duty has changed on thirteen types of items including motorcycles.

With new Import/Export law in effect starting midnight tonight, customs duty on 11 types of items has been raised and the duty is lowered on two types of items.

According to the information shared by the Maldives Customs, the previous 100 percent duty from the motorcycles has been raised to 150 percent. But the government later decided not to increase the duty on motorcycles higher than 100 percent and not to any duty from clothing materials.

Senior Superintendent of Customs, Ahmed Niyaz told Sun Media today that even with the government’s decision not to raise the duty on those items, the percentage would be higher starting tonight since the amendment to the law has not been made yet.

Starting tonight, the duty on cigarettes would go up from MVR 0.90 to 1.25 and the previous zero percent duty from oil would go up to ten percent. And 20 percent duty would be taken from perfumes and luxury cosmetics which did not had any duty before.

Other cosmetics are to be charged five percent as duty. Effective tonight, the previous 35 percent duty from heavy machinery has been raised to 50 percent and the duty on passenger vehicles has been raised to 200 percent. The customs duty for land vehicle spare parts has gone up from 35 to 50 percent. And the 150 percent duty from tools related to smoke has gone up to 200 percent.

However, with the new law taking effect tonight, the 25 percent duty which was taken from luxury vessels used in the tourism sector has been removed completely.

Among the list of things that no longer has a customs duty includes, medical supplies, common foods, construction materials, stationary, shoes, home electronics and computer hardware. It also includes sporting goods and resources for renewable energy.