The Government has announced and implemented new regulations for the payment of annual fees and penalties related to land and sea fares. 

The rules, effective from December 15, aim to provide a distributed payment system for individuals with outstanding dues.

According to the new guidelines, individuals can settle unpaid state dues in instalments, derived from the annual fees and penalties owed for land and sea operations. However, applicants must meet specific criteria and submit a formal request to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation to access this facility.

To qualify, applicants must have outstanding dues exceeding MVR 10,000, with the payment deadline already lapsed. Additionally, the applicant must be a vehicle owner and must not have used an instalment payment system previously.

Eligible individuals are required to sign an agreement with the Transport Ministry, which includes the payment of a “commitment fee.” The fee varies based on the amount owed—for instance, those with dues between MVR 5,000 and MVR 10,000 must pay 18 per cent of the total as a commitment fee. The remaining balance can then be paid in instalments over a maximum period of 10 months.

The Ministry has clarified that the instalment agreement will be revoked if payments are overdue by more than 30 days without a valid justification.