Controversial waste import bill ratified amid backlash
The clause allowing the import of waste was added during the review of the bill by the parliamentary committee.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Sunday ratified a controversial bill that would allow waste to be imported into the country for waste-to-energy operations.
Parliament passed the bill in November after the parliamentary environment committee made amendments to it.
After a number of environmental advocacy organisations expressed concern over Section 44 of the bill, the environment ministry said early this month that an amendment would be proposed when the parliament breaks from recess in the new year.
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The clause states that waste can be imported into the country with the permission of the ministry
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This was not the case when the government introduced the bill; when it was introduced, there was a ban on the import of waste
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The parliamentary committee cited the rationale for including the clause in the bill as that while the Maldives is considering power generation from waste, it is important to have the permission in case of difficulty in getting waste.
Concerns of organisations:
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Waste-to-energy projects are financially and technically burdensome
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Incinerator operators are already allowed to import waste into the country; these organisations have raised these concerns in the past
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They urged the president to send back the bill without ratification
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They also call for regulations to ensure that foreign companies are not allowed to turn the country into a garbage dumping ground.
State environment minister Ali Solih told Atoll Times in early December that the ministry has been receiving a lot of concerns from lawmakers and members of the public regarding the clause. The ministry had decided to send the bill back to parliament for amendment, he said.
Ali Solih said the government was also concerned that the bill facilitated the import of waste into the Maldives. He pointed out that it was an amendment brought in by parliament without even the knowledge of the ministry.
