Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Energy Thoriq Ibrahim has stated that the South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP) will enable the labelling of more energy-efficient products. He made the statement at the inauguration ceremony of the SAREP project.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony Minister Thoriq noted that there are three types of goods available in the Maldives. As such, he noted that the newly inaugurated project will start labelling electronic water heaters, water pumps and ceiling fans in the country. He highlighted the country’s efforts to generate energy and its negative impact on the economy and the environment. The minister also added that the government is working to make 33% of the energy used for electricity generation renewable and that the new project will be an additional force in achieving this goal.
SAREP is a programme of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that promotes the renewable energy industry in South Asian countries. Minster Thoriq signed the agreement of the programme on behalf of the Maldivian government. On behalf of USAID Acting Mission Director for India and Bhutan Alexandria Huerta and the Mission Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Gabriel Grau signed the agreement.
After the ceremony, technical sessions were held to share information on various activities to be conducted in Maldives under SAREP. As such, the sessions covered energy regulation, changes in energy demand, roadmap for smart meter rollout and labelling of electronic goods.
The ceremony was attended by various agencies working in the energy industry such as the Utility Regulatory Authority, State Electric Company Limited, Fenaka Corporation, Housing Development Corporation, Maldives Association of Construction Industry and Maldives Customs Service.