Plastic bag bundle price hike may not be resolved quickly: Usham

When shops started charging a fee of MVR 2 per plastic bag provided to consumers with their purchases, the waste management law had been passed carelessly, in a position where it was levying an unfair tax. The result is that even when buying a plastic bag bundle, people have to pay a fee of MVR 2 for each bag inside the pack.

The fact that this is a big issue has been highlighted by traders even after the regulations came into effect on Tuesday. MPs apparently already knew at the time the bill was passed that the problem would arise.

The government has now proposed to amend the law again to bring down the price of bag bundles. However, MNP MP from Villimale constituency, Ahmed Usham, said he doubted that an early resolution could be found within the parliament.

The environment ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the amendment was proposed this month. Reacting to the statement, Usham tweeted that when President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the Waste Management Bill on December 18, 2022, he would know that there will be a problem in the price of bags four months later.

"The government had moved an amendment to the Act on March 27, 2023 to resolve the issue.If we are to mention the snail’s pace of this government,  we will be held at fault," MNP vice-president Usham said.

On behalf of the government, MDP MP from Komandoo constituency Mohamed Rasheed submitted the bill to the parliament on March 29. Since then, three weeks have passed, but the preliminary debate is yet to begin. Therefore, Usham does not think that the amendment can be passed soon and the issue of price of bags can be resolved.

"As parliament goes on a 15-day recess [recess] in the opening week, it is doubtful that the issue of prices of bags will be resolved anytime in the near future," said Usham, a former deputy prosecutor general.

While the parliament’s first term ends this month, the second term will begin in the middle of next month after a 15-day recess. Therefore, it is likely to take a few days for the preliminary debate to be concluded and the bill will be sent to the standing committee for review.

The reason for the increase in the price of bag bundles is that as per the existing law, every bag in the pack has to be paid an extra fee of MVR 2. Usually, the bundle is packed in 100 bags per pack. So, that makes the standing price at the rate of MVR 200 per bag, which is a large price hike and difference. This is a loss for the traders, a huge expense for consumers, with inflation already spiked this year alone.

The environment ministry statement said that when the government first introduced the Waste Management Bill in parliament, the bill was in such a way that no tax would be levied on plastic bag bundles. However, when the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment examined and re-amended, it was set to charge MVR 2 per bag for every bundle.