The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has recorded a revenue of USD540,000 from fees imposed on plastic bags in September.
The latest statistics released by MIRA indicate that the lowest revenue collection from plastic bags was in September, with fees amounting to USD26,000. In contrast, the highest revenue was recorded in August, totalling USD111,000.
The plastic bag fee came into effect on April 18 under the Waste Management Act. Every business activity operating in the Maldives was required to charge a fee of USD0.13 as a plastic bag fee. It resulted in a huge price hike for plastic bag bundles, which has risen from USD1.6 per bundle with 100 plastic bags to USD15. If the seller of plastic bags is registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST), they must also apply GST to the plastic bag price.
The government introduced an amendment to the Waste Management Act in the Parliament of the Maldives, suggesting a reduced charge of USD0.03 for bags instead of the initially proposed USD0.13 in response to public concerns. In addition, the bill proposes that fees for bags used to carry raw fish products or for waste disposal should be exempted and it aims to revise the fee collection system to reduce administrative burdens on retail shops and cafes.