MALÉ: Maldives is set to ban hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) gas import from June as it looks to reduce the amount of ozone-depleting substances used in the Maldives.
President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom ratified the Bill on Protection of the Ozone Layer last month which has also been designed to promote the replacement of ozone-depleting substances with environmentally friendly substances.
The bill was passed by the parliament on November 5.
The Maldives had also compiled a plan to halt the use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCS) until the year 2020 after Montreal Protocol’s executive committee (ExCo) approved the banning of HCFCS until 2030.
Environment ministry has warned strict penalties for anyone found importing the banned substance from the set date.
The Montreal Protocol banned over 100 chemicals of which the Maldives banned importation of ozone-depleting substances in 2003. The Maldives had also banned chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in 2008, which the Montreal Protocol had restricted from use until the year 2010.
The Bill on Protection of the Ozone Layer was lobbied to facilitate government authority to minimise and stop the use and importation of ozone-depleting substances to the country, considering the dire need for a system of laws for the Maldives to act on ozone protection agreements the nation has signed and ratified.
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