The People's Majlis has passed an amendment to the Water and Sewerage Act, mandating the establishment of water and sewerage systems in all inhabited islands of the Maldives by the end of 2027.

The amendment was proposed on behalf of the government by MP Abdul Latheef Mohamed of Dhidhdhoo constituency.

The bill was passed with 61 votes from members present at the Majlis session. Seven members voted against it, all of whom belong to the MDP.

The original law, which came into effect on August 25, 2008, stated that these services should be established in all islands within five years of the law's implementation.

However, no subsequent government has been able to achieve this goal.

The amendment also includes the removal of Article 8 (f), which required the establishment of water testing laboratories to ensure the safety of water for public use.

Additionally, it removes the Article which required the ministry to monitor and coordinate the work of the regulatory authority for water and sewerage services.

The amendment also removes Article 15, which required licensed water and sewerage service providers to submit annual plans to the ministry before the start of each year and implementation reports within the first three months of the following year.

The bill also states that permission to establish water and sewerage systems in the Maldives should only be granted after conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment report as per the regulations under the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, and after the approval of this report by the Environmental Protection Agency.