BML USD restraints are hurting Small Businesses RANT
This is basically my side hustle that I'm planning to turn into a full-time business.
I've been selling my own devices, and for the first time, started importing devices about a month ago.
Now I cannot buy any devices whatsoever. They claim this block is for eBay, Shein, AliExpress, Temu, and Amazon — but I'm using an alternative platform that ships indirectly to the Maldives. I'm quite sure it's not a high-volume consumer site. But BML blocked it anyway. And I didn't just try one card — I tried three. One debit Amex, one debit Visa, and one credit Visa.
All from the "dhivehingeh vatanee harudanaa heyohithun kan koh dey bank" the king of all banks, the honorable Bank of Maldives. (Please give me access, wasn't that praise nice?)
And I can't even be mad at their customer support. I stop myself from saying something hurtful because it's genuinely not their fault.
The black market rate is the only option left at this point, and if there's no solution by the weekend, that's probably where I'm headed.
And then — they're terrified to even tell us what the actual Vatanee Hadhu (limit) is. I think they're scared of what the international community would say if they made it public.
Now here's what actually needs to happen: Force the resorts and tourism-based businesses operating in our land, water, and air to store their dollars in local banks — not offshore accounts. They are absolutely sending it offshore, no question. Use that to pay off debts. Hold those dollars here.
On top of that — make USD-based income a real, accessible option for regular citizens. Does the Maldivian government think all we have is low-skilled workers? Why are they blocking USD payment options for people actively trying to build something?
Why do they need their hands all over our USD? At this rate, they'll have their hands all over everything else too — if they don't already.
Allow Stripe. Allow PayPal. Integrate with the global market for ordinary citizens.
And look where we are now.
Are we really going to be the next country on the list of nations that blocked their own people from the global economy?