Pres. Solih voices concern over EPA dissolution

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has voiced serious concerns regarding the transfer of all powers of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Minister of Environment, alongside the agency’s conversion into an authority.

Following this decision, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has moved to place the responsibilities of the EPA, tasked with safeguarding the Maldives’ fragile environment, under the supervision of the Ministry of Tourism and Environment after dissolving the agency.

In a statement posted on social media platform ‘X’, former President Solih criticized the government's recent changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations, which remove oversight from EPA Maldives. He described the move as a significant weakening of the agency’s authority and expressed deep apprehension over the implications.

Solih further warned that the government’s approach of dismantling supervisory institutions and regulatory bodies undermines democratic safeguards. He emphasized that these actions could pose a serious threat to the Maldives’ delicate environment and impede efforts toward sustainable development.

The President’s Office revealed that EPA’s restructuring aims to better align the agency’s name and functions with its core role of regulating environmental matters in the Maldives.

According to the statement, the change was intended to enhance the agency’s efficiency and accelerate its operations. However, critics note that the dissolution of EPA and the creation of the Environmental Regulation Authority (ERA) resulted in the loss of EPA’s previously independent status.

The President’s Office clarified that the agency’s governance structure has shifted from being overseen by a governing board to functioning directly under the Ministry of Tourism and Environment.

This reorganization was carried out under the authority granted to the president by Article 116 (a) of the Constitution.