Government and utility companies collaborate to forgive utility bill Fines

In response to the growing concerns over the financial strain faced by many households in the Maldives, particularly in meeting their monthly utility bills, the government has taken proactive steps to offer assistance. Despite efforts to maintain utility bills at stable levels, numerous households continue to struggle, often facing steep fines for overdue payments. To alleviate this burden, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced a significant measure earlier this week: the forgiveness of major fines associated with unpaid utility bills. 

This initiative not only aims to provide immediate relief to those grappling with mounting debts but also underscores the government's commitment to supporting struggling citizens during challenging times. Additionally, the President has called upon utility companies to explore innovative solutions to facilitate easier payment methods, further demonstrating a concerted effort to address the financial challenges faced by Maldivian households.

In response to this announcement made by the president, the respective utility organisations have come out to state that the pending fines for households struggling to pay their water and electricity bills will be forgiven as soon as the bills are settled. This would act as a major relief to citizens who are struggling with settling the bills as they have one less financial stress as they would not be required to pay the additional exorbitant fines that come with the late payments. The companies have stated that the fines will be forgiven for bills until the end of 2023, and this does not apply to the fines for unpaid bills for the first three months of 2024. In addition to this, the utility companies have also offered the citizens who struggle to settle the bills to sign a contract with the utility companies that would allow them to settle the bills in instalment payments instead of having to make the payments in one go.