Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed has said that work to introduce PayPal in the Maldives is ongoing, as part of the Government’s wider push to expand access to digital payment and monetisation platforms.

At a press conference held on Monday at the President’s Office, the Minister gave an update on the initiative, which was first announced by the Ministry in September 2024. He noted that young people face difficulties in sending and receiving money through digital platforms, and added that the Government is actively working to resolve these challenges. He acknowledged that the process involves administrative steps and can take time but confirmed that discussions with PayPal are underway.

In his remarks, Minister Saeed also pointed out that the press conference coincided with World Creativity and Innovation Day, and said that the country is exploring new opportunities for digital monetisation through social media platforms, particularly TikTok.

Earlier this year, in January 2025, the Ministry said that proposals had been submitted to PayPal, Amazon Pay, and Google Pay, and confirmed that discussions were ongoing at the executive level with representatives from these companies.

Efforts to enable TikTok monetisation in the Maldives formally began in April, with the Ministry hosting a meeting with a senior delegation from TikTok. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu also held discussions with representatives from the platform regarding the steps needed to open monetisation features for Maldivian content creators.