Innahura Maldives Resort has been selected as the first company to obtain certification under the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program introduced by Customs to provide convenient arrangements for those who comply with Customs regulations and principles. The certificate was presented to the company at a special ceremony held today at the Customs Building by State Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Abdullah Shiyaz. Hussain Hameed, Manager of Innahura Maldives’ Male’ office, received the certificate on behalf of Innahura Maldives Resort.
In his speech at the ceremony, State Minister Abdullah Shiyaz highlighted that the launch of the Authorized Economic Operator program service is an important milestone achieved in the field of trade facilitation. He also noted and expressed gratitude for the significant work Customs always does to create a favorable a favorable environment for business. Speaking at the ceremony, Commissioner General of Customs Fathimath Diyana said that the Authorized Economic Operator program is currently being implemented in 89 countries worldwide. She stated that under this program, companies are divided into 3 categories, and based on the extent to which they implement regulations and the duration of their participation in the program, they will have the opportunity to be promoted to categories that offer additional benefits.
Innahura Maldives, which obtained certification in this program, has noted that being the first to achieve the Authorized Economic Operator certificate is a big responsibility. The company said that while this results in many conveniences, they had placed great emphasis on implementing regulations even before achieving this certification. The company operating Innahura Resort said they will work to include other resorts under their management in this program. Special benefits for Innahura Maldives Resort include auto-assessment of declaration forms they submit, expedited arrangements for goods inspection and release, and special arrangements for providing documents such as certificates of origin and advance rulings.
The Authorized Economic Operator program is a national-level program designed to provide special benefits and convenient services to those engaged in international trade who comply with Customs laws and regulations, as well as other import-export related laws and regulations, during the stages of importing or exporting goods. The name of this program in the Maldives is the “Maldives Authorized Economic Operator” program.
In the program initiated by Customs, companies are divided into 3 tiers or categories. These are Gold, Silver, and Platinum tiers. One of the main objectives of this program is to encourage and increase the number of traders who comply with laws and regulations in importing and exporting goods to and from the Maldives, and in obtaining and receiving other Customs services. To participate in this program, special conditions set by Customs must be met.
If a company has been continuously importing or exporting goods for at least 5 years, even if it is a small or medium-sized enterprise, the opportunity to participate in this program has been opened.
