Plastic Bag Fee Removed as Parliament Passes Waste Bill Amendment

Maldives Parliament has passed an amendment to the Waste Management Act, with all 64 members who participated in the vote backing the bill.

The amendment was submitted by Ungoofaaru constituency MP Ibrahim Shifaz. The Environment and Climate Change Committee had previously reviewed the bill and approved it with 65 votes on August 12 before it was brought before the full Parliament.

One of the key provisions of the amendment is the removal of the MVR 2 fee currently charged on bulk packs containing more than 50 plastic bags. Under the existing framework, exemptions from the plastic-bag fee apply only in specified circumstances. The amendment would expand the exemption to these larger wholesale packs, which would consequently reduce government revenue collected through the plastic-bag levy.

The bill also introduces provisions for developing waste-management policies in areas where economic and industrial activities are carried out. It further requires waste-management activities to be aligned with the national master plan and the waste-management plans of individual cities.

In addition, the amendment includes provisions concerning the establishment and operation of waste-management systems, the setting of waste-management standards, and the standards applicable to waste-management centres and related resources.

The bill was introduced amid wider efforts to strengthen the country's waste-management framework. The proposed changes also include measures aimed at addressing waste-management practices and establishing a stronger legal framework for managing waste in the Maldives.

The MVR 2 plastic-bag levy was introduced under the Waste Management Act and came into effect in April 2023. Under the proposed amendment, the charge would no longer apply at the wholesale level to packs containing more than 50 plastic bags.

The amendment therefore combines changes to the plastic-bag levy with broader provisions aimed at improving waste-management planning, standards and infrastructure across the Maldives.