The Maldives imports a majority of its requirements, particularly food, fuel, and capital goods. VSTC imports and trades in diesel, lubricants, LPG, and other miscellaneous items including provisions for resorts and marine engine parts. Cement and petrol used to be traded until June 1996 when lack of storage space forced VSTC to discontinue. For most goods, VSTC's dominant competitor is the Government-owned State Trading Organisation (STO), which imports a large variety of goods into Maldives and is the agency implementing government policy on the trade of essential goods.

Encouraged by its success in trade and with an aim to tap into the potential of this segment, Villa Group is setting up a world class storage infrastructure at Thilafushi Island with the following facilities:-

• 3 LPG Horton spheres of 1750 m3 each along with a bottling plant suitable for filing 300 bottles at the rate of 12kg per hour. (operational since May 2002)

• A Fuel Farm for the storage of petrol, diesel and heavy oil with a total capacity of 38,000 m3.

• Cement Silos for storing up to 8,000 tons of cement along with a packing facility capable of packing up to 900 bags (weighing 50 kg) per hour as well as a facility to pack jumbo-sized bags weighing 1,000 kg.

Villa Group is also in the business of electronic goods, computers and related accessories.