An amendment bill to the Waste Management Act has been proposed to eliminate the provision that permits the importation of waste. Parliamentarian Mohamed Rashid, acting on behalf of the government, proposed the bill to amend the act.
The Waste Management Act, which was ratified in December 2022, empowers the government to oversee waste production and management and regulate waste generated by businesses in various industries, including tourism. The public has expressed concern over a clause in the act that allows the Maldives to import waste, and the amendment bill seeks to address these concerns by prohibiting the importation of waste.
In addition, the bill aims to establish sustainable waste management policies that align with the government’s objectives and clearly delineate the roles and responsibilities of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and utility regulatory authorities. The bill also contains criteria for testing and certifying waste management resources and approving land plots for waste management centres.
