President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has revealed the administration has launched efforts to transform Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to an independent institution. President Solih assured legal powers and broader mandates will be granted to EPA once it is transformed to an independent institution. The president made the remarks at a discussion panel held with environment ministers of past and present commemorating World Environment Day.
In the speech, President Solih expressed the administration gives utmost priority to protect and maintain the natural environment of Maldives. In this regard, the president highlighted the administration is the first to allocate one complete ministry for environment, thanking individuals who exerted tremendous efforts in the past to protect the environment of the country.
Furthermore, President Solih noted challenges to implement laws related to environment in any aspect are outspoken in every government term, but rather failed to take actions to overcome the challenge. In this context, he revealed the administration has now begun efforts to grant legal powers of implementing laws and taking action against violators to EPA by making the authority an independent authority.
Moreover, the president shed light on the initiations of the administration to protect the environment, adding it has been decided to utilise funds received as Green Tax to environment protection projects.