The new Waste Management Bill has been amended to make it mandatory for local councils to designate a waste management site in each island within one year after the bill is made into law.
The bill, proposed by Parliamentarian Mohamed Rasheed on behalf of the government, aims to establish waste management policies and regulations, and sustainable waste management mechanisms to minimise damage to the environment. The bill proposes to handover responsibilities to the local councils including formulating and implementing waste management-related projects in their administrative regions and providing waste management services.
The responsibilities handed to local councils include setting the price for waste management services and hiring companies that have a waste management license. The councils are also responsible for conducting public awareness programmes on waste management, and to collect waste management-related data and statistics and submit them to the relevant state institutions.
Furthermore, the councils will be required to designate a waste management site in each island within one year after the bill is made into law. Currently, many islands have been unable to properly manage their waste as they currently do not have a designated waste management site.
The bill will also establish regulations on keeping records of the waste management processes across the country to conduct audits. Parties in violation of the regulations are to be fined between USD300-3,000 and those who neglect to formulate a waste management plan are to be fined USD6,500. Parties that bring waste into the country are to be fined up to USD300,000, as the offence is considered equivalent to smuggling.