The Ministry of Defense has urged people who intend to import chemicals to apply for permission before June 20th, before the forthcoming Eid-Al Ada public holidays.

The Ministry on Sunday, stated that anyone intending to import chemicals should apply for permission through the Makudi portal.

Noting that a permit is required to import chemical into Maldives, the Defense Ministry highlighted that if the quantity imported is less than 200 kg or 200 litres, the warehouse will be excluded from registration, in accordance with the constitution.

Under Article 7 of the Hazardous Chemicals Regulations 2019, importers of chemicals into the Maldives must obtain a chemical sales permit from the Ministry of Defense. Under section (b) of the same article, chemical sellers must keep records of chemical sales in the form specified in Schedule 5 of the Regulations. A report containing copies of these records must be given to the Ministry of Defense every six months, according to Article 15 of the Rules.

Following a tragic fire incident in September 2019, the Ministry of Defense drafted the Hazardous Chemicals Regulations that year. With this, it was decided that chemical storage facilities must be positioned away from residential areas. The Ministry of Defense is also authorized by these Regulations to inspect chemical storage facilities as needed to guarantee compliance with these Regulations.

Since the enactment of this rule, chemical warehouses in residential areas have been removed from the city.