Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises Moosa Zameer has clarified that Bank of Maldives’ (BML) ongoing efforts to access international debt capital markets do not constitute sovereign borrowing by the Maldivian government.
The clarification comes after BML concluded a series of non-deal roadshow meetings with institutional investors between 29 April and 8 May 2026 across major financial centres including Singapore, Hong Kong and London.
In a statement on the initiative, Zameer described the roadshow as a strategic effort aimed at supporting the Bank’s continued growth and strengthening its role in financing the next phase of the Maldives’ economic expansion.
“This is not a sovereign borrowing exercise,” the Finance Minister stated, emphasizing that the initiative is a capital-raising effort by BML itself and not a fundraising programme undertaken by the state.
He further noted that the government maintains strong confidence in BML as a stable and systemically important financial institution within the Maldivian economy.
According to the Bank, the proposed financing is intended to support its future expansion plans, particularly in the tourism sector, which remains one of the country’s primary economic drivers.
BML revealed that its tourism loan portfolio stood at USD 594 million as of the end of April 2026, with approximately USD 35 million disbursed between January and April this year alone.
The Bank stated that the continued financing support reflects its long-term commitment to facilitating growth and resilience within the tourism industry.
Commenting on the investor meetings, BML CEO and Managing Director Mohamed Shareef said the engagements with international investors had been “highly encouraging” and reflected confidence in both the Maldives’ economic outlook and the Bank’s financial fundamentals.
He stated that accessing international debt markets would help diversify the Bank’s funding base and enable it to scale up support for key sectors while maintaining prudent risk management practices.
The roadshow follows what BML described as the strongest financial performance in its 43-year history. The Bank said it continues to maintain strong profitability, robust liquidity and capital adequacy ratios well above regulatory requirements.
BML also highlighted that it currently has no existing external borrowings, placing the Bank in a strong position as it explores opportunities within international debt markets.
