The government on Tuesday relaxed the relevant regulation to facilitate the expeditation of the legally mandated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for priority infrastructure development projects.
The EIA regulation mandates the submission of an impact assessment study to the Environment Ministry before implementing any developing project that may have a potential impact on the environment.
However, the lengthy procedures of conducting the EIA has led to significant delays in key projects sparking widespread concerns from developers.
To address the concerns, the government has amended the regulation to expedite the EIA process to facilitate priority projects sanctioned by the government.
The amendment enables priority projects designated by the Cabinet or Cabinet committee to follow an expedited EIA process.
The Ministry of Tourism and Environment has assured that despite the amended regulation, all environmental safeguards will remain in place, with the Minister of Tourism and Environment empowered to direct measures for swifter processing where possible under a 42-month moratorium granted by the amendment.
The amendment will facilitate the implementation of government led developmental projects by expediting the entire administrative process, the Ministry said.