Shops That Fail to Display Prices Face Fines of up to MVR250,000
The Economic Ministry says it keeps receiving complaints about goods on sale without visible prices and will monitor businesses under the Consumer Protection Act.
Businesses that put goods on sale without clearly showing their prices will be monitored and fined under the Consumer Protection Act, the Ministry of Economic Development, Transport and Trade said in a notice on 14 October.
The ministry said in the notice, reference (IUL)101-AS/101/2026/29, that it continued to receive complaints that many goods for sale in shops did not carry a price customers could clearly see.
It reminded businesses that Article 16(a) of the Consumer Protection Act (Law No. 12/2020) prohibits displaying goods for sale unless the buyer can clearly tell their price, and asked all businesses that sell goods to comply.
How Prices Must Be Shown
According to the notice, a price counts as displayed under the Act only if it is:
- written on the goods themselves, or on a tag or sticker attached to them; or
- shown where the goods are kept, in a way that makes clear which item the price belongs to.
The Act also requires the price to clearly relate to the item. Where goods are discounted or on offer, it requires the original price to be shown.
Fines and Closure
The ministry said it would monitor compliance under Article 66 of the Act and fine businesses found in breach under Article 84.
Article 84 sets the fines the ministry can impose when its monitoring finds a breach:
| Who | Fine | Other action |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | MVR1,000–100,000 | Period set to correct the breach |
| Company or other legal entity | MVR1,500–250,000 | Period set to correct the breach |
| Breach not corrected in time | MVR5,000–250,000 | Premises may be closed for up to six months |
The notice does not set a grace period before monitoring begins, and it does not say how customers should report shops that do not display prices. The ministry’s letterhead lists its hotline as 1500.
Price Controls on Essentials
The Consumer Protection Act was published in the Government Gazette on 31 August 2020 and replaced the 1996 consumer protection law.
The notice follows other measures by the ministry on retail prices this year. On 11 October, it said the State Trading Organization had begun distributing essential items across the country at STO-standardised prices, after President Dr Mohamed Muizzu expanded the national essential items list from 26 to 80 items.
In July, it launched AguMagu, an app showing the lowest, average and highest prices of everyday items across shops. In August, it opened the platform to all stores in the Maldives.
On 22 September, the ministry said it had inspected 24 businesses the previous day as part of efforts to identify those operating in violation of regulations. It found 22 compliant and issued a closure notice to one.
More from Business
Government Subsidy Spending Passes Full-Year Budget by 48% with Months to Go
Finance Ministry data to 8 October show MVR4.26 billion spent on subsidies against MVR2.89 billion budgeted for all of 2026, as total spending rose 18.3% and revenue 3%.
29 Foreign Investments Dissolved as Maldives Enforces Sectors Reserved for Locals
The Economic Minister says 150 foreign investments must meet the new requirements, and 17 have applied to comply.
Parking Offences on Main Malé and Hulhumalé Roads to Be Enforced Digitally
Vehicle owners will be notified by SMS and email. The ministry also plans to limit the hours heavy vehicles can use the Hulhumalé–Malé bridge.
Maldives’ Official Reserves Fall 14.9% to US$547.8 Million in September
The month included the final US$50 million repayment on a 2019 State Bank of India facility. Usable reserves, on the central bank’s own measure, fell to about US$170 million.