The Parliament’s Environment and Climate Change Committee has voted to proceed with stakeholder discussions on decommissioning businesses that continue to evade fines imposed for environmental damage.
The proposal was put forward by West Maafannu MP Mohamed Musthafa Ibrahim (PNC), who outlined three key points: summoning senior officials from the Transport Ministry, reviewing whether the Environment Ministry had coordinated with the Economic Ministry on stopping such businesses, and assessing the possibility of halting their operations through official correspondence. All committee members present unanimously supported the motion.
MP Musthafa highlighted concerns over the Transport Ministry’s failure to establish necessary regulations to address vessels operating illegally within Maldivian waters. “Why is there no regulation on this [action to be taken if vessels do not pay the fine]?” he asked, stressing the importance of holding the ministry accountable.
He also noted that while the Environment Ministry had previously informed the committee that mechanisms could be explored to prevent defaulting businesses from operating, legal constraints meant that enforcement would have to be carried out through the Economic Ministry.
Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Attorney General’s Office had been summoned to the committee in October last year to discuss the persistent issue of unpaid environmental fines. At the time, the EPA stated that its lack of authority to pursue legal action to recover fines was a major obstacle.
The Attorney General’s Office also raised concerns over foreign vessels leaving Maldivian waters without settling environmental fines, a problem that has escalated over the past three years.
According to figures released by the EPA last December, more than MVR 825 million in environmental fines remain unpaid.
