Committee extends vape ban review, set to pass Nov 15 deadline

A parliamentary committee on Tuesday extended the deadline for further study of the government's proposed amendment to the law that would ban the importation of vape products after November 15, raising the possibility that the import ban may not be enforced by the initially set government deadline.

The social committee, which is responsible for reviewing the government's proposed tobacco control bill, decided on Tuesday to extend the deadline for completing its work to the November 21. Previously, the committee had set tomorrow as the deadline for approval to meet the government’s original schedule of enforcement.

The social committee, primarily composed of members from the ruling Progressive National Congress (PNC), opened the bill for discussion in its meeting yesterday.

During the discussion, Maafannu West PNC MP Mohamed Musthafa Ibrahim suggested that more time was needed to study the bill thoroughly. He indicated that the bill, in its current form, might not fulfil its intended purpose, though he did not provide further explanation.

The committee's sole opposition member from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Mohamed Ibrahim, highlighted concerns raised by various institutions. At a meeting on Monday, representatives from the Health Ministry, Health Protection Agency (HPA), and police shared issues related to the bill. Ibrahim called for additional time to address these concerns.

"It was particularly noteworthy that the institutions attending the committee included points that were not in the original bill. We have also received amendments from the HPA. The police are pointing out challenges in implementing the provisions," Ibrahim said.

He also emphasised the need to consult café and restaurant owners as part of the extended study.

The committee meeting, which lasted 23 minutes, moved to an informal session where members discussed the timeline. Following these informal discussions, MP Mohamed Ibrahim seconded a motion to extend the deadline to November 21.

After additional deliberation, Maafannu Central MP Asma Rasheed, who presided over the meeting, announced that the motion had been unanimously approved. The meeting then concluded.

President Mohamed Muizzu announced last month that vape imports would be banned from the 15th of this month, with a ban on the sale and use set to follow on November 15. These dates may be revised due to the delay in finalising the bill.

Additionally, the government passed a separate bill to increase the duty on tobacco products, including vape. This measure, effective since last Friday, has led to higher prices. The government stated that the increased duty was intended to remain in place until the ban took effect.