Maldivian government has announced that 30 percent from water bills and 40 percent from electricity bills will be cut amid the worsening Coronavirus pandemic.

The announcement was made during a press conference by Finance Ministry today.

Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer noted that in order to recover from the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and to make it easier for all citizens, the government has decided to subsidize a portion of utility bills for the next two months.

As such, he stressed that 40 percent of the electricity bills for April and May will be subsidized by the state while 30 percent of water bills for April and May will be subsidized by the state.

STELCO had also appealed to economise the use of electricity during the period as it is a hotter period compared to the rest of the year. Electricity bills are notably higher during this period of the year.

While 13 cases of Covid-19 has been found in the Maldives, a Public Health Emergency has been declared with travel bans on several countries to combat the spread of the virus.