Reduced tax for Ooredoo for MVR 100m Thalassemia hospital donation

Discussions have been held at the Economic Council to reduce taxes paid by Ooredoo to the state if they would donate MVR 100 million for the construction of a thalassemia hospital and an additional MVR 200 million as advance tax to the government simultaneously.

The President's Office held a press conference on Sunday, saying this was not brought to the Cabinet but only discussed in the Economic Council.

"In 2005, it was discussed that Ooredoo would be issued a telecommunication licence to pay a total of 6% to the state, which includes 5% of its revenue as licence fee and 1% of the company's revenue to boost the ITC sector in the country," Nazim said.

"This is being done by increasing the tax license fee of Ooredoo to MVR 200 million from the current MVR 100 million paid to the government as advance tax and paying [the full amount] to the government in one go and agreeing to provide a grant of MVR 100 million for the construction of a thalassemia hospital”.

The government announced the decision to build a new hospital specialized in treating thalassaemia patients in the city on December 10, 2023 at a press conference held by the President's Office.

When asked by Atoll Times how much money would be spent on the project, the office's Under Secretary for Public Policy, Mohammed Firzul Abdullah Haleel, said then that it was estimated to cost USD 25 million (MVR 385 million).