Starting April 18th, businesses in the Maldives must charge customers a fee of MVR2 for each plastic bag, including bundled bags. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the Waste Management Act, which requires this fee.
MIRA is holding information sessions and has published guidelines to increase awareness. Businesses registered for GST must charge GST on plastic bags sold in bundles and disclose guidelines and information on plastic bag fees. Failure to comply results in a 5% fine on fees and an additional MVR14 fine for each day the business operates without submitting information. Failure to submit payment related to the plastic bag fee results in a 5% fine on the pending payment for each day the business does not pay. The fee does not apply to duty-free shops, bags for fresh unpackaged fish, or bin liners for waste disposal.
The government aims to phase out single-use plastics by 2023, as per the Parliament Resolution of 2019. The Environmental Protection and Conservation Act amendment prohibits the import, manufacture, and marketing of single-use plastics.
