TradeNet second phase underway to expand Maldives border services

Work is proceeding at high speed to implement the second phase of the "TradeNet" platform, TradeNet has said. TradeNet is a platform established to provide import-export services at the Maldives border easily and conveniently from a single view. Under the government's digital transformation agenda "Maldives 2.0", companies are working to deliver services digitally. Building on the successes of the first phase, the work of the second phase of TradeNet is now underway, TradeNet noted. By introducing services to the platform, the connection between government regulatory agencies and businesses is being further strengthened through the digital project. TradeNet, set up to open a central digital doorway to trade-related regulatory services provided at the border, aims to ease the work of businesses that generally have to deal with multiple agencies across separate IT systems and stages. By providing these services from a single platform, administrative burdens can be reduced, transparency increased, the efficiency of agencies strengthened, and the way paved for establishing a faster and more robust business environment in the Maldives. In the first phase of TradeNet, the foundation was laid for a digital system of trade-related regulatory services provided by government agencies at the Maldives border, and sea trade transactions were made electronic. TradeNet said this paved the way for shipping agents, freight forwarders and other relevant parties to obtain important services from a single view through a central platform. After it was decided in September 2025 to submit the documents required to obtain some important services related to imports by sea via the TradeNet platform, the platform's services were expanded in June 2026 so that declarations of vessels arriving in the Maldives by sea and related additional regulatory permits would be submitted solely through the TradeNet platform, TradeNet said. Building on this foundation, work is being done in the second phase to expand TradeNet's services to other areas that facilitate business. These include establishing arrangements through which services related to air travel, the stages of submitting cargo declarations to Customs, and the issuance of additional regulatory permits can be carried out via the platform. With the services set to be brought to the TradeNet platform in the second phase, TradeNet said the Maldives will be able to pave the way for providing border services through a complete National Single Window system as stated in the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.