News Desk
The Maldives cannot fix its spiraling economy without listening to the tourism sector, former Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid warned Tuesday, warning that any hit to the country’s main industry will ripple down to every local household.
Speaking on RaajjeTV’s “Fashairu” breakfast show, the senior opposition figure described tourism as the nation’s “goose that lays the golden eggs”—and accused the current administration of effectively killing it off.
“Right now, the goose’s belly has been ripped open. Investor confidence is shot, and the backbone of our economy is broken,” Shahid said during the broadcast.
Shahid criticized the government’s spending priorities, taking direct aim at high-cost state projects while the public struggles with basic needs. He alleged that foreign currency entering state coffers is being wasted on vanity projects rather than economic relief.
“The government gets dollars and spends them on clever little tricks,” Shahid charged. “They throw money at massive lagoon reclamation schemes, buy military drones, purchase heavy weapons, or set off fireworks. They aren’t thinking about the everyday citizen.”
He urged the administration to abandon rigid, top-down policies and sit down with resort owners and industry leaders before the damage becomes irreversible.
“You can only get this economy back on track by listening to the industry. Having the Maldivian economy collapse isn’t in anyone’s interest,” he said, calling for immediate steps to rebuild investor trust.
