Agreement with Tatwa renewed, work to commence in 15 days

The government has said that the agreement with Indian company Tatwa regarding waste management in Male’ region has been renewed, and that efforts in this regard will commence in 15 days.

Speaking at a press conference at the President’s Office today, Minister of Environment and Energy Dr Mariyam Shakeela said that the agreement was amended as per the advice of the Clinton Foundation, in order to find solutions to the concerns associated with the agreement.

The main amendment to the agreement was to award the waste management system project in several phases.

Dr Shakeela said that the first phase had already been awarded to Tatwa.

She said that under the first phase, waste material from waste yards in Male’ would be transported to Thilafushi daily, and waste material from waste yards in Hulhumale’ and Vilingili will be transported to Thilafushi every other day.

The minister said that the main target of phase one is to avoid burning waste material in waste yards in Male’ city.

Dr Shakeela said that under phase two, Tatwa will impose a fee to collect garbage from each household, and this fee would be added to the electricity bill.

The third phase includes the establishment of a waste management facility in Male’. The phases are divided into periods of six months each.

“By dividing the project into phases, for example, if Tatwa violates the agreement in the first phase, we can hand over the project to another company for the second phase. The agreements will be signed separately for each phase,” said Dr Shakeela.

She said that the project will commence in 15 days and to begin with, Tatwa would repair and use the vehicles of Male’ City Council.

According to the agreement, the fee imposed on households would not exceed $10, and the money collected from recycling would go to the State, said Dr Shakeela.

She said that Tatwa also cannot have a profit margin of more than 15 percent.

The problem of waste management in Male’ has remained unsolved for a long time, due to wrangles between the government and the Male’ City Council.

The waste management agreement is between the Maldivian government, Male’ City Council and Tatwa.