The panel discussion titled “Two Sides of the Economy”, organized by the Ministry of Economic Development, Transport and Trade and aired on PSM News, was presented as a balanced conversation about the Maldives’ dollar issue. Yet in reality, it felt more like a one‑sided broadcast, the economic minister’s side.

Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed spoke at length about policies, foreign currency flows, and official statistics. Numbers were shared: millions of dollars sold, medical travel allocations tripled, and card usage abroad rising sharply. These figures painted a picture of activity and resilience. But what was missing was the voice of the ordinary Maldivian.

For many families, the “two sides” of the economy are not government policy versus financial strategy. They are the daily struggle of rising living costs versus stagnant wages. They are the difficulty of unable to get the essential medicines from the nation, or the frustration of watching the local currency weaken while salaries remain the same. None of these realities were given space in the panel discussion.

By focusing only on government and ruling party narratives, the panel risked becoming a performance rather than a genuine dialogue. It defended the state institutions and demonstrated that the economy is on the right track, but it did not reflect the lived economic experience of youth, farmers, shopkeepers, fishermen, or students abroad who feel the surging pinch of the black-market USD exchange rate.

If the government truly wants to show “two sides of the economy,” it must invite voices beyond its own — voices of workers, small business owners, and everyday citizens. Otherwise, such panels risk being seen not as open discussions, but as polished speeches that ignore the struggles of the people they claim to represent.

For the average Maldivian household, the daily trip to the local market has become full of worry. Promises of financial stability and a fixed dollar exchange rate have faded away under President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s watch, leaving ordinary people to pay for a growing cost-of-living crisis.

At the center of the country’s struggle is a severe dollar shortage that shows a basic lack of management. While official statements by this government claim the economy is doing well, the actual black-market rate for U.S. Dollars has reached historic highs. For a country that imports almost everything—from everyday food items to medicine—this dollar shortage acts like a hidden tax. Local shopkeepers, unable to get foreign cash from banks, have no choice but to buy expensive dollars on the street and pass those extra costs straight to everyday shoppers.

To make matters worse, the government's main strategy seems to be pointing fingers. At every turn, officials place the blame on the previous government, pointing to old debts and past mistakes. But making excuses is not leadership. President Muizzu ran for office promising to fix the economy, solve the dollar shortage, and stop the black market. Blaming others when you ran on a promise to make things better is a refusal to take basic responsibility.

Rather than fixing these root problems, the administration is moving toward dangerous shortcuts, including indirect money printing schemes through bond deals. Key leaders at the Pension Office—including the CEO, the board chairman, and top financial officers—resigned in protest over these moves, warning that printing money would wreck the economy and harm public savings. Yet, the president pushed forward anyway, ignoring their warnings.

Instead of using sensible money plans, the administration shows a clear lack of experience. The government has put strict limits on dollar spending for ordinary citizens and students living abroad, while at the same time giving out hundreds of paid political jobs to supporters. Cutting back services for struggling families while hiring political friends is not good management, it is plain neglect.

A country cannot run on excuses and bad choices. President Muizzu asked for the power to fix the economy; it is time he steps up, listens to experts, and takes responsibility. Until the government replaces political blame games with clear, sensible action, everyday Maldivians will continue to suffer.

Deputy Ambassador of Maldives to China, Mr. Sobah Rasheed. Photo: Twitter

By: Sobah Rasheed

It is my firm opinion that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s re-election is of paramount national interest at this juncture. 

Over 70% of our GDP is from Tourism. We have a fragile economy. This has been witnessed during the pandemic more than ever. We all know Maldives graduated from a Leased Developed Country (LDC) to a Middle-income Country in 2011. But the 2020 pandemic turned our country into a No-income country just overnight. So, we must not forget that the country & our economy is grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep the economy and businesses afloat and sustain jobs president Solih’s government took difficult yet very bold decisions during the peak of the pandemic. Our country has got to deal with a large and growing fiscal deficit and debt which needs special attention. 

My decision to support President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is about ensuring continuity of the post-COVID national  recovery project. It is about enabling president to complete the project through sound policies of his government that not only brought the light at the end of the tunnel but also achieved a great deal in a short span of time despite the odds. 

So I firmly believe that in the best interest of the nation we must put aside political and ideological differences at this critical juncture and rally behind the president to empower him to complete this national project to the best possible degree over the next 5 years. 

The country is in the right tract. Tourism is picking up.  The economy is taking shape. We have earned the respect and trust of our bileteral partners and  the international community. Foreign Investor confidence is all time high. So we must take this opportunity to get there!

I also believe re-election of president to a second term will turn a new page in our country’s democratic journey. It will be a major milestone in the consolidation of our democracy and our constitution. I optimistically believe that President’s re-election will also give an excellent opportunity for the opposition to become mature & credible, undertake their constitutional role and people’s democratic mandate providing oversight, checks & balance and accountability of the undertakings of the government. 

So, I stay firm in my commitment to do my best and work towards re-electing President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in 2023. 

Disclaimer: Above is an exclusive opinion written to Adamington Online by Mr. Sobah Rasheed who is the Deputy Ambassador of Maldives to China. He is also known for launching the first Private Internet Service in Maldives under the brand name Raajje Online (ROL) offering unlimited Internet access at a fixed monthly fee breaking the monopoly held by State telecom company for ages. Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not reflect Adamington Online’s point-of-view.

 

H.E President Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Photo: President's Office Website

The theme for last year’s International Anti-Corruption Day was ‘recovery with integrity’. This places importance on transparency and ethics in tackling the global COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, its high time in Maldives for us to try to overcome this crisis by addressing the roots of corruption within the state.

People almost forgot about the incidents of corruption in other sectors after the irregularities and misappropriations in the health sector came to the limelight. The media was rife with ventilator case when the pandemic started. The anti-corruption commission announced in the beginning of the year that it would take stringent action against those, no matter how influential they are, who are involved in the ventilator theft case.

ACC then started investigating people engaged the ventilator theft. There were several State Ministers, leaders and one Minister on the list. But the controversial ventilator case came to a halt shortly after COVID-19 outbreak, and those against whom the ACC began investigating and was taking legal action for alleged involvement in these activities, went unnoticed. Their files remain closed and forgotten at the ACC office.

The irregularities in the health sector overshadowed the Ventilator case. Suddenly ACC shifted its focus to the health sector. This is how ACC hops from one issue to another and leaves its previous cases unfinished in the paradise nation. In the process some of the issues see better progress with wider PR stunts while others have less progress with dim light.

The question is, why does ACC keep an issue pending and jump into another sensational issue? Can ACC really perform its duty objectively, with its own free will? Or does it operate on the whims of the governments and respective ruling parties? Some accuse that the, ACC had drawn a line and it is unwilling, incapable or fearful of going beyond it due to political influences. It depends on the identity and status of the individual whether ACC will take any action or not against him.

Visibly ACC’s anti-corruption activities are selective. The organization will never be able to perform its duties properly and as per people’s expectations until it shrugs off such practice. How will ACC be able to move away from its selective stance and achieve the power to take action in all sectors freely and neutrally?

I would like to conclude with a reminder, we are talking about "allegations" of corruption, not "proof" of the said corruption. However, the allegations are serious and mostly based on documents. I strongly believe that these allegations deserve to be looked into, and it is only through a professional investigation by the ACC that the truth will come out and our claim that nobody is above the law will get some credible traction.

Surely the irregularities in our health sector were drastically revealed during this pandemic. The republic's eyes are solely on ACC now. Will ACC honour President Solih’s “Zero Tolerance to Corruption” policy or will the commission ignore the public voices for a “Corruption free State”?

Member of Parliament for Hoarafushi constituency, Mr. Ahmed Saleem. | Photo: Majilis Website

Last month a social media uproar took against the Member of Parliament for Hoarafushi constituency Mr. Ahmed Saleem for calling citizens working in Civil Service sector of Maldives as “faceless and voiceless” people.

Below is the full transcript of the remarks made by the Member of Parliament for Hoarafushi constituency Mr. Ahmed Saleem about Maldivian Civil Servants at the Parliament regarding a bill to amend the Civil Service Act.

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The person working in Civil Service is someone who has to live by a certain limit, certain code of conduct and a certain discipline. Can’t write whatever they want. Can’t say whatever they want. The individual is a faceless person according to experts. The individual is a voiceless person. The person has to shut up from the moment the work contract is signed, util in the grave. Can’t write whatever they want on Facebook. Can’t talk whatever they want where ever they want. That’s a professional person. 

The moment they sign their Civil Service agreements, they are consenting that they have no issue with the freedom of speech they are granted by the constitution being taken away. The individual agrees to this. They are people who know extra information about the office. More than what the general public would know. The privilege is there. With that, there are standards to which they should abide by.

How many Civil Servants among us are able to uphold the value of their profession? Even this morning I received a post on Facebook by a Civil Servant, supporting a specific political candidate. They cannot! With such things happening again and again, it ends up diminishing the confidence regarding the services of the government.

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However, later on the presenter turned MP, Mr. Ahmed Saleem via a tweet apologized to those who had been offended by his remarks about Maldivian Civil Servants. Furthermore, MP Saleem said that if anyone had keenly listened to his speech in parliament, they will notice the part which he had also highlighted the critical role of civil servants in building the nation.

 

Leaders of PPM giving a press conference. Photo by: One Online Website

In Maldives, the opposition always shouts out that the nation lacks democracy, transparency, accountability of state institutions, equal economic opportunities, equal share of country’s wealth, press freedom, freedom of assembly, human rights, and freedom of speech. But not even once they highlight on the importance of having a “responsible opposition” party alongside the government as part of the democracy. I think the main problem in Maldives is not the so-called lack of democracy, but the absence of a strong and responsible opposition party. Yes, Maldives lacks a strong opposition party that is inspired by a political ideology which practices democracy within its own institution.

With President Solih taking the oath of Office, the nation lacks an opposition party where its leaders are free from corruption and think only of the people’s welfare, not their own personal interests. Only and only such an opposition can encourage an elected government to be free from corruption, sustain democracy, and help the ruling party live within the boundaries of rule of law. The question may arise: What are the characteristics of a responsible opposition party? An easy answer is: A responsible opposition questions the elected government and hold them accountable to the public through the legal instruments provided by the constitution of the nation. But I cannot agree on the history and the unfolding activities of the current leaders of the opposition PPM are under the line drawn by our constitution.

A lavish life of its grassroot leaders and escaping punishment for acts of corruption during its reign might be the definition of politics for the opposition PPM. Nevertheless, giving party nominations in exchange for huge amounts of money before the elections and making offensive remarks on President Solih and cabinet Ministers by appearing in live media is not politics at all. Today, PPM has set a precedent as a new venture in politics -- to consider shouting and insulting against the administration as the new normal of local politics. Where the existence of the Opposition PPM is itself in danger, it is the duty of the general supporters of the party to lead their leaders out of this political threat.

Politics for PPM has now become a platform for exchanging unnecessary war of words with ruling MDP. Being an opposition party does not mean that the leaders of PPM get up in the morning and insult the leaders and MPs of ruling MDP and the figures of the coalition government. That is why people are no longer interested in dedicating their time to the unorganized rallies and the immature politics by PPM. At this time, to sustain democracy and make the government of Maldives accountable, a strong well focused constructive opposition is crucial. For the interest of the country and the sake of our democracy, a strong opposition responsible political party is needed in Maldives. Unlike PPM. this opposition must be a responsible political organization which can facilitate politics of values to the island nation.