Revenue collected from Airport Development Fees and Departure Tax has increased by 30 per cent in the first three months of the year, according to statistics released by the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA).

MIRA data shows that a total of MVR 1.1 billion was collected from the two sources during the period, compared to MVR 871 million recorded in the same period last year.

Of this, MVR 563 million was generated from departure tax, up from MVR 435 million in the corresponding period, reflecting a 29.4 per cent increase. Meanwhile, revenue from Airport Development Fees reached MVR 573 million, compared to MVR 437 million last year, marking a 31.2 per cent rise.

Departure tax was introduced on January 1, 2022, while the Airport Development Fee has been in effect since May 1, 2017, applied to passengers departing from Velana International Airport.

Exemptions from departure tax include transit passengers, children under the age of two, and individuals with diplomatic immunity, while direct transit passengers are exempt from the Airport Development Fee.