The government has stated it has no plans to make any amendments to the tax hike bill passed by parliament yesterday and stated that the bill be ratified by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as passed by Parliament.  

Parliament passed the bill yesterday even after several MP's, the relevant authorities, and the general public voiced major reservations about the bill. The newly passed law will raise the GST percentage to 8 while TGST percentage to 16. 

However, at a press conference held at the President's Office on Monday, spokesperson Mohamed Miuvaan assured that the government has no plans to go further into the bill.

Earlier in the day, reporters asked about speaker Mohamed Nasheed's comments criticising the passage of the tax increase bill. Nasheed had yesterday said that even if the constitution mandated a large majority to make such laws and pass bills, it was passed with a thin majority in parliament.

Responding to a question, Miuvaan stated he would not "comment" on what the Speaker had said. But whether the bill was passed by a thin majority or not is clear from the number of members who voted to pass the bill.

A total of 55 lawmakers voted in favour of passing the tax increase bill. Twenty-six lawmakers voted against the passage of the bill, including 14 lawmakers from the main ruling party.

The bill was passed by the parliament on Monday and Tuesday after lawmakers supporting President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih complained to the president about the lack of vote on Monday and Tuesday.