Parliament's committee supports halting businesses dodging environmental fines

Parliament's committee on environment and climate change today voted to move ahead with stakeholder discussions regarding the decommissioning of businesses which continue to evade fines imposed for environmental damage.

The matter was put across to the committee by West Maafannu MP Mohamed Musthafa Ibrahim. He suggested a total of three points:

- Summon senior officials from the Transport Ministry

- Check whether the Environment Ministry held any discussions with the Economic Ministry to stop such businesses

- Check whether such businesses can be stopped, and to send a letter if it is possible

All the members present in the committee unanimously approved the motion.

MP Musthafa said the Transport Ministry should be produced before the committee because of the issue of vessels operating illegally in the Maldivian region and the ministry having failed to make the regulations required by law to stop such vehicles.

“Why is there no regulation on this [action to be taken if vessels do not pay the fine],” he asked.

Musthafa said the Environment Ministry had earlier told the committee that it was possible to see if there was a way to stop businesses from operating to recover the money those companies owe in environmental fines.However, it is not legally possible for the ministry and EPA to do so, he said, adding that it should be done through the Economic Ministry.

Officials from EPA and the Attorney General's Office were summoned to the committee in October last year regarding the lack of paid environmental fines.

EPA told the committee at the time that the agency's lack of authority to go to court to recover the fines for environmental damage was the biggest challenge.

AG office also said the issue of foreign ships leaving Maldives without paying their fines had also become an increasing occurrence in the past three years.

More than MVR 825 million of the fines imposed for various environmental damage cases have not yet been paid to the state, according to figures released by EPA last December.