President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Monday established the Utility Regulatory Authority, as mandated by the Utility Regulatory Authority Act which was ratified the previous day.
The authority was established under the Ministry of Environment, dissolving the ministry's former body overseeing the sector, 'Maldives Energy Authority'.
The Utility Regulatory Authority is tasked with licensing of utility companies as their registrar, as well as the enforcement body to investigate and penalise companies that violate laws related to water and sewerage.
The authority is mandated to formulate a structure to subsidize water and sewerage services in a decentralized manner and to empower local councils, involving councils in assigning rates for services provided by the institution.
The body must also adopt measures to protect an island's freshwater lens, while providing solutions for low-income households to afford utility services.
Furthermore, the authority is required to connect households to the water and sewerage grid, free of charge.
Sign In
