Maldives
Custom ERP and billing, AI agents, web applications and SaaS for hospitality and distribution businesses in Malé. Built by Flip Retail in Jaipur, India, and delivered remotely, with working software every two weeks.
01 — Local economy
Nearly every resort in the atolls is supplied through Malé, so import trading houses, seaplane and speedboat operators and resort management companies concentrate on the capital island and neighbouring Hulhumalé. Pole-and-line tuna fishing and processing supply canned and frozen exports, and land reclamation, housing and port relocation projects keep contractors busy across the Greater Malé area.
Also known as Male.
Dhivehi and English
02 — Industries
What we would build first for the industries Malé is known for.
03 — Compliance
What an ERP, billing system or AI agent has to respect here.
| Indirect tax | GST (GGST / TGST), standard rate 8% general GST; 17% tourism GSTGeneral-sector GST is 8%, while tourism supplies bear TGST of 17% (raised from 16% on 1 July 2025). From 1 October 2026 TGST extends to foreign booking platforms, tour operators and travel agencies selling Maldives tourism products. |
|---|---|
| E-invoicing | Planned · MIRA e-invoicing system (in development)MIRA began work on a national e-invoicing system in mid-2025 that will connect taxpayer systems directly to MIRA, targeted for completion in 2026; no mandatory issuance dates had been confirmed as of October 2026. |
| Data protection | No comprehensive data protection law (Data Protection Bill pending)A government Data Protection Bill passed its first reading unanimously in 2026 and is in parliamentary committee, proposing a Privacy Commissioner and breach procedures; until it is enacted no general data-protection statute applies. |
| AI rules | No AI-specific statute or binding national AI framework. |
| Systems we migrate from or connect to | QuickBooks, Xero, SAP Business One, Odoo, Infor SunSystemsMasters, ledgers, stock and open balances move across and are reconciled before cutover. |
| Payment rails for web apps and SaaS | Bank of Maldives (BML) payment gateway, Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB), Favara instant payments, Visa/Mastercard cards |
| Also worth knowing | Invoicing is commonly in both MVR and USD (tourism), and software must separate GGST and TGST supplies; tourism establishments also collect the separate green tax. |
General information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026. Rules change, so we confirm current requirements during discovery; your tax adviser should confirm anything that affects filings.
Sources consulted:
04 — Working together
Jaipur is 30 min ahead of Malé all year. A 09:00 start there is 09:30 in Jaipur. Standard 09:00–18:00 office days overlap by 8 h 30 min, which is enough for live calls, demos and same-day answers.
Local time, standard time.
It has been an amazing experience — the skills and knowledge he brings is a game changer.
50+ projects for 30+ clients in 11 countries over six-plus years.
05 — FAQ
Yes, remotely. Flip Retail is a software studio in Jaipur, India, with no office in Malé; discovery happens on video calls and you get working software every two weeks.
Jaipur is 30 min ahead of Malé all year. A 09:00 start there is 09:30 in Jaipur. Standard 09:00–18:00 office days overlap by 8 h 30 min, which is enough for live calls, demos and same-day answers.
Yes. Invoicing is built for the Maldives's GST (standard rate 8% general GST). On e-invoicing: MIRA began work on a national e-invoicing system in mid-2025 that will connect taxpayer systems directly to MIRA, targeted for completion in 2026; no mandatory issuance dates had been confirmed as of October 2026. When the mandate takes effect, a custom ERP can connect to MIRA e-invoicing system through its official API or an accredited provider; we design for it from the start.
You choose: your own cloud account in a region that suits you, or your own servers. Access inside the system is role-based, and during development we work on test or masked data wherever possible. A government Data Protection Bill passed its first reading unanimously in 2026 and is in parliamentary committee, proposing a Privacy Commissioner and breach procedures; until it is enacted no general data-protection statute applies.
Yes. Masters, ledgers, stock and opening balances move across and are reconciled with your accountant before cutover, ideally at a year-end or quarter-end.
For English, yes: current language models handle it well, including mixed-language messages. Support for Dhivehi is more limited, so we test with real customer messages before committing to it, and route anything the agent is unsure about to your team.
Usually one module that fixes the most expensive problem first. For tourism & hospitality that is often recipe costing & kitchen inventory and multi-outlet procurement. It goes live early, and the rest of the system follows in two-week increments while your team is already using it.
Contact
Tell us about the process you want fixed. We reply within one working day.