President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Sunday ratified the bill approved by the parliament regarding pesticides.
The parliament passed the bill on November 27, with a majority of 72 votes following amendments by the parliament's Environment and Climate Change Committee.
Under the newly ratified bill, a Pesticide Unit will be established under the Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture, with a mandate to assist and protect the public from adverse effects of pesticide misuse, take all necessary steps to negate safety concerns and promote best practices.
The unit would also include a research division with official laboratories to monitor, evaluate and collect data and statistics to help make the safest decisions for the community.
Furthermore, the bill states that the pesticide business will be monitored and details of relevant statistics will be publicised after evaluations. Non-compliance can lead to fines ranging between MVR 5,000 and MVR 100,000 depending on the severity of the infraction.
Moreover, the bill prohibits advertising any pesticide product in Maldives.
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