EPA claims lack of funds, resources hinder work

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Monday that the state was facing delays in collecting various environment-related fines due to lack of funds and resources in the agency.

The agency officials were summoned to the parliament’s Environment Committee on Monday to question about this delay.

Members of the committee, during the meeting last Monday, alleged the delays were owed to EPA’s negligence. In response, EPA’s Director General, Ibrahim Naeem said the agency faces multiple challenges in recovering the fines it issues to offenders.

Naeem highlighted that the current regulation blocks EPA taking the court approach to claim the fines it issues. The EPA Director General further said that several cases related to vessels running into reefs are in pending, and noted that the alleged offenders often claim their vessels did not run aground despite it being otherwise.

Naeem said several EPA cases have been stockpiled at both the Auditor General’s Office and the Ministry of Environment.

“We lack trained professionals, and the primary issue is that EPA cannot take these cases to the relevant authorities. We lack that authority, and instead request to the Attorney General for intervention,” Naeem commented.

The agency, despite general consensus, lacks sufficient authority to take corrective action against culpable parties, Naeem said and added that EPA lacked its own legal representative until recently.

International contractors and businesses that operate vessels, and face EPA fines, have strong legal representatives, the EPA Director General added, noting the strong legal support often is detrimental to the agency in fining culpable parties.

Naeem said the issues will not be resolved until EPA has adequate resources to counter them.

“The main issue is budget constraints and we lack funds to pay our employees and administration. We do not generate any revenue,” Naeem added.

Naeem further noted that local companies have been fined less with significant fines mostly issued to international companies. He added EPA prioritized recovering these significant fines.

EPA has recovered a total of MVR 228 million from 37 different cases in the past two to three years according to Naeem.

The committee in turn assured EPA it would submit cases related to fines to the Environment Minister to make decisions regarding them at the ministerial level. Additionally, the Budget Committee assured to increase the agency’s budget in the future.

Although EPA issues significant fines to culpable parties for environmental damage, the state often does not receive these.

Earlier, the Minister of Environment Thoriq Ibrahim assured EPA will have freedom and authority to fulfill its mandate despite not receiving full autonomy.