An amendment bill to the Waste Management Act has been proposed to reduce the fee on plastic bags from USD0.13 to USD0.03.
Proposing the bill, Parliamentarian Ahmed Saleem said that the USD0.13 fee was introduced at a time when the global price of goods began soaring. He proposed various solutions such as granting exemptions for plastic bags used for carrying raw fish and waste as well as making the law less burdensome for retail stores and hotels. He added that the fee can be changed year to year.
The government has decided to provide environmentally friendly bags for garbage disposal and other essential needs. A company has been contracted to design and produce the bags and the government is working to begin distribution as soon as possible.
The plastic bag fee came into effect on April 18 under the Waste Management Act. Every business activity operating in the Maldives are now required to charge a fee of USD0.13 as a plastic bag fee. It has resulted in a huge price hike for plastic bag bundles, which has risen from USD1.6 per bundle with 100 plastic bags to USD15.
The government initially intended to address public concerns about the fee in May. However, attempts to amend the Waste Management Act were hindered by political turmoil within the Parliament.