The state has received MVR 14 million as plastic bag fee since the introduction of the fee.
The MVR 2 per bag fee was introduced on 18 April 2023 under the Waste Management Act.
According to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), the government received MVR 12.6 million as plastic bag fees last year, and MVR 1.4 million in January this year.
Under the Waste Management Act, purchasers of plastic bags are required to pay a fee of MVR 2 per bag, even when bought wholesale. Despite an initial provision exempting packs containing 50 or more plastic bags from the fee during the bill's introduction in Parliament, this exemption was not included when the bill was passed into law. An amendment to the Act has been submitted to Parliament.
