LGA steps in as councils impose large fees to deter residents from leaving islands

The Local Government Authority (LGA) has decided to formulate a regulation to address the high fees being charged by some island councils for changing permanent residency registrations.

In recent months, several councils have introduced large administrative fees for residents who deregister from their island, in an effort to discourage migration and preserve local populations for development planning.

Speaking to Sun, LGA CEO Mohamed Nimal said some councils have decided to charge over MVR 5,000 as an administrative fee for deregistration.

Nimal said such fees should not become a burden on the public.

“If people have to pay MVR 5,000 or MVR 6,000, it becomes a huge inconvenience for ordinary families. Imagine a couple and a child moving, that’s MVR 15,000. It’s a big expense,” Nimal said.

He said the LGA “will soon issue” a regulation to address the problem of councils imposing excessively high fees.

According to Nimal, councils currently have the discretion to charge any amount they wish when residents change their permanent registration. He said that while a fee may be justified, it must be set at a level the public can reasonably bear.

On Tuesday, the F. Bilehdhoo Council decided to charge MVR 5,000 for deregistration. The council also announced a MVR 2,500 incentive for those who apply to register as residents of Bilehdhoo.

Bilehdhoo is not the only island taking measures to retain its population. Last month, the Lh. Hinnavaru Council decided to charge MVR 2,000 as an administrative fee for residents who leave their registered address due to low population. Th. Kinbidhoo also charges MVR 1,200 for changing residence.

Under the Maldives Citizenship Act, every citizen has the right to move freely from one island to another. Most people choose to transfer their registry to Male' city area.

As the government rolls out large-scale housing projects in the capital, open to applicants from all islands, many atolls are rapidly losing population. The LGA’s move to regulate deregistration fees suggests the government does not intend to obstruct this migration trend, and may even be indifferent to islands becoming increasingly empty.