As the blessed month of Ramadan approaches — a period that brings significant changes to economic activity and consumption patterns in the Maldives — the Government has prioritized special efforts to maintain the affordability of essential goods during this time.

Under the guidance of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the Ministry of Economic Development & Trade is closely monitoring the availability of goods in the market and their prices. The Government’s main objective is to ensure uninterrupted supply of goods during Ramadan and to keep prices from rising.

To achieve this objective, arrangements have now been made to supply a total of 26 essential items through STO without interruption — including rice, sugar, and flour — with 23 additional items newly added to the essential goods list. Beyond the Greater Malé Region, STO has also given special priority to ensuring that these goods are easily available to residents of the atolls.

Accordingly, these items will be directly available through 11 STO outlets across various cities and major population centers nationwide. In addition, through STO agents, these goods will be sold at controlled prices in islands with populations exceeding 3,000. Efforts are also ongoing to supply goods to shops in smaller islands via STO agents.

To strengthen logistics operations, arrangements have been facilitated in collaboration with MPL to transport goods directly to Kulhudhuffushi City and Addu City via “Base Cargo” services. Furthermore, wholesale centers have been established in the Malé North Harbour area and in the Hulhumalé industrial zone to make bulk purchasing easier for businesses.

To provide information to the public, prices of goods sold by STO will continue to be published on the company’s website. Additionally, through the Ministry’s “Agu Magu” portal, the public will have access to information on where to purchase 169 different items at the lowest prices.

The Government’s overarching goal is to ensure a secure environment this Ramadan in which all citizens can obtain essential goods at affordable prices without any difficulty.