Transport Minister Reveals Half of Vehicle Domain Numbers Sold Under Former Maldivian President’s Administration Were Fake

During a recent ‘Ahaa’ forum, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen disclosed a startling revelation: nearly half of the vehicle domain numbers sold during the previous administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih were not authentic. Addressing concerns raised by a youth participant regarding the suspension of domain sales, Minister Ameen explained that the practice was halted last August at the directive of the President’s Office due to significant irregularities detected within the domain registration process.

The Minister emphasized that while legitimate domain holders should not suffer the consequences of others’ misconduct, the government is committed to rectifying the situation. Out of the 1400 domains in use across the Maldives, a staggering 50 percent—equivalent to 700 domains—were identified as fraudulent. Some of these illegitimate domain numbers were reportedly obtained through collusion with Transport Ministry staff and subsequently sold to unsuspecting parties at exorbitant prices.

In response, Minister Ameen outlined the government’s plan to initiate efforts to legalize these domains within the next 20 days, ensuring that individuals operating within the bounds of the law are not unfairly affected. He assured the public that measures will be taken to integrate affected parties into the system without incurring losses. Additionally, Minister Ameen pledged to resolve the domain issue within the span of six months, underscoring the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability in Maldives’ transportation sector.