EPA is autonomous, no obstacles to fulfill duties: Thoriq

Minister of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy Thoriq Ibrahim said on Sunday evening that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has discretion in attending to all of its mandated tasks.

Speaking on "Baaru Hathareh" on SSTV, Thoriq said it was difficult for the EPA to transition as a fully autonomous body and noted the agency should always share a symbiotic relationship with the ministry.

Thoriq assured the Environment Ministry would not intervene in EPA's day-to-day operations. He assured the ministry was also working on empowering the agency.

He, however, noted that there is no intention to grant full autonomy to the agency.

"They have autonomy in making day-to-day decisions in running the agency, so there is nothing it cannot accomplish just because it is not autonomous," Thoriq said.

A fully autonomous EPA was a key pledge of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, but the former government had failed to put this into action despite the promise, Thoriq added.

Funadhoo MP Ahmed Mamdhooh, also a member of the Environment and Climate Change Committee of the Parliament, said while speaking on the SSTV program that the former government abused the EPA for political motives.

"Despite MDP enjoying a super majority, they did nothing to implement [EPA's autonomy] either through the executive or parliament. Instead, EPA was paralyzed whenever the government wanted to grant permits for projects," Thoriq said.

While the current administration earlier noted it had no intention of granting a fully autonomous status to EPA, Supreme Court Justice Husnu-al-Suood previously highlighted the importance of extending financial sustainability, legal rights and empowerment to the agency.

Suood said this in a Supreme Court ruling that overturned the High Court's interim injunction demanding a halt to Kaafu atoll Gulhifalhu reclamation efforts.