Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Ali Amir has stated that no other government has prioritized the waste management issue Maldives face. Answering a question posed on the weekly talk show, Maldives Today, Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Ali Amir stated that the current administration gives utmost importance to the waste management sector in the Maldives.
Under efforts to solve the waste management issue the country faces, President Yameen established Waste Management Corporation Limited (WAMCO) which is a wholly government-owned entity. WAMCO started its operations on January 1, 2016, to address the problem of the lack of effective and efficient waste management system in the country; a factor that is becoming increasingly evident at an alarming rate, especially in the overpopulated and congested capital city of Malé. The government owned corporation, WAMCO aims to work together with citizens, businesses and the government, with a vision of establishing environmentally responsible and sustainable waste management services for Maldivian communities.
Continuing on about the importance given by the current government, Deputy Minister Ali Amir added that the issue was ignored by previous governments and that after President Yameen came into power, the sector has seen tremendous advancements. Deputy Minister Ali Amir stated that currently, the government is working on establishing the infrastructure of the zonal systems. He said that the zonal center will be developed in Thilafushi.
He highlighted that the center developed at Thilafushi will convert more than 300 tonnes of waste into energy by incinerating waste. Maldives' official policy on incinerating solid waste advocates methods that are not detrimental to the environment.
President Yameen aims to solve the waste management issue in Maldives and to develop waste management plans in 90% of all islands.