The Government of India has decided to permit limited exports of essential commodities to the Maldives amidst strained diplomatic relations between Male and New Delhi.
The Indian government, in a recent notification, announced the approval of exports of crucial goods like sugar, wheat, rice, and onions to the Maldives. These exports are part of efforts to stabilise local prices ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
"The quota for river sand and stone aggregates, crucial items for the booming construction industry in the Maldives, have been increased by 25 per cent to 1,000,000 MT. There has also been an increase of 5% in the quotas for eggs, potatoes, onions, sugar, rice, wheat flour and dal (pulses)," the government said in the notification.
Details of Approved Exports
The approved exports to the Maldives include significant quantities of various commodities which include 124,218 metric tons of rice; 109,162 tons of wheat flour; 64,494 tons of sugar; 21,513 metric tons of potatoes; 35,749 tons of onions and 427.5 million eggs.
Additionally, India has permitted the export of 1 million tons each of stone aggregate and river sand to the Maldives.
"Last year as well, India continued export of rice, sugar and onions to the Maldives in spite of a worldwide ban on export of these items from India. India remains strongly committed to supporting human centric development in the Maldives, as part of its 'Neighbourhood First' policy," said the government in the notification.
