Councils allocated MVR 30.8M for waste management

Local councils have been allocated MVR 30.8 million in funds from the green tax to solve waste management issues.

The announcement was made by Environment Minister Aminath Shauna in a ceremony on Tuesday.

Speaking at the ceremony, Shauna said the MVR 30.8 million allocated from the Green Fund will be released based on a specific set of policies. Considerations when releasing the funds include the size and population of islands, and existing waste management facilities.

“And we will distribute this among councils based on estimated costs,” she said.

Shauna thanked councils for their cooperation.

Shauna said that solving waste management issues is a costly endeavor, especially for a country like Maldives.

It is also imperative that we solve this issue given this country’s heavy reliance on its tourism industry, she said.

“Waste management is something that must be done at a national level, as well as at an island level, and at the level of individual households,” she said.

Presidents of councils attended the ceremony virtually.