USAID chief discusses potential support to enable PayPal access in Maldives

Samantha Power, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has engaged in discussions regarding potential support for enabling PayPal services in the Maldives.

The discussions took place in a meeting with Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

According to a statement released by the President’s Office, Power commended Maldives’ ambitious plans and affirmed USAID's readiness to collaborate on various initiatives.

“She also discussed potential support for enabling PayPal services in the Maldives and facilitating the country's membership in the Open Government Partnership (OGP), as these align closely with the President's visionary development agenda,” reads the statement.

PayPal is an American multinational financial technology company that operates an online payments system in the majority of countries that support online money transfers. It serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods such as checks and money orders.

Access to international online payments systems including PayPal was one of President Muizzu’s electoral pledges.

Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed said that the government pitched its full proposal to PayPal to secure access to the financial technology company’s services in the Maldives in late August. He said the government expects to reach an agreement with PayPal “very soon.” But he was unable to provide a specific timeline.

In Tuesday’s meeting, both President Muizzu and Power reaffirmed their commitment to working together in areas of mutual interest and ensuring continued collaboration beneficial to both nations.

USAID has been working in Maldives since 2001. It has provided over USD 45.72 million in funding to the Indian Ocean island nation since 2019.