Waste Management Act
Waste MANAGEMENT ACT
RATIFICATION FIASCO
INTRODUCTION
The Maldives parliament, the People’s Majlis, passed the much awaited Waste Management Act (WMA) on the 28th of November 2022. This is the first legislation of its kind on waste management in the Maldives.
The waste management bill was submitted to the People’s Majlis by the government on 16 May 2022, which was subsequently sent to the Environment and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) for review on 27 June 2022.
Notably, not a single public consultation was held on this serious national issue.
Basic Facts
• this is the first waste management bill of its kind in the Maldives
• s 46 of the initial draft bill categorically prohibited waste importation into the country
• s 44 of the revised and ratified law allows waste importation into the Maldives
• there was no wider public consultation or dialogue about the bill prior to its passing by Majlis and subsequent ratification
• the bill was put through the parliament over a period of 6 months
• the bill was passed by parliament with 54 yes votes and no dissenters
• CSOs called for the President not to ratify the law, but these concerns were ignored
