MALE, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19-hit Maldives could re-open its borders by July and recommence tourism by October, local media quoting Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer reported here Friday.
"From July onwards, we can begin easing some of the measures, even if that doesn't mean we re-open our airports," Finance Minister Ameer was quoted as saying by local media.
Ameer said that the government has formulated five scenarios with possible timelines for re-opening borders and the tourism sector. The best case scenario sees the country re-open borders by May but in the worst case, borders may only open by January 2021.
The Maldives will officially request creditors for a moratorium on debt repayments which may help save around 258 million U.S. dollars in state expenses, Ameer said.
The country has released 14.4 million U.S. dollars to finance anti-epidemic operations and the COVID-19 could cost the government a total of 104 million U.S. dollars if the situation worsens, Ameer said.
The Maldives is one of the worst-hit economies by the COVID-19 pandemic with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projecting an 8.1 percent contraction in GDP in 2020. The IMF recently approved a 28.9 million U.S. dollars disbursement to the country.
Tourism, directly and indirectly, accounts for over two-thirds of the Maldives' GDP, according to the World Bank.
The sector has come to a virtual standstill as the government imposed flight restrictions and a suspension of visas-on-arrival in order to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Maldives' COVID-19 cases rose to 116 on Friday as authorities continued to find new cases in capital Male, including the first of a Sri Lankan national in the country. Enditem
