Male' City Council has stated that they did not renew the waste collection contract with WAMCO and instead decided to take over the service in Male' City and Villimale' in a bid to cut costs and speed up the cleaning process on the streets.

A statement by the council on Saturday noted that during the 66th sitting of the Fourth Term of the council, it was decided not to further renew the contract to collect waste with WAMCO upon its expiry.

It highlighted one of the reasons behind the decision as the need to clean up parks, public spaces, and the streets in Male' City and Villimale' as soon as possible.

While MVR 2.5 million is spent monthly on the service, the council still received complaints regarding waste on the streets that have not been picked up for days which disrupts pedestrians and vehicle owners alike. The council further added that they receive complaints regarding delayed waste collection from the streets.

The statement highlighted that while the City Council already manages the cleaning of parks and public spaces, the decision to dissolve the contract with WAMCO and take over said services by the council will bring down the expenditure greatly.

The Council further described this as an opportunity to make Male' City and Villimale a pleasant place to live. They also stressed that while keeping the cities clean and safe is under the councils' responsibilities, all relevant government institutions should support the decision to do so.

WAMCO has since released a press statement criticizing City Council for tarnishing WAMCO's image. WAMCO statement said that although City Council has proposed a budget of MVR 1.5 million a month for waste collection, it is not a feasible rate considering waste collection, staff salaries, and waste management.

"We do not believe the proposed employ numbers by City Council are sufficient to maintain waste management in Male' City" WAMCO said.

WAMCO further added that following City Councils waste collection and management plan would raise the costs thrice as much as now and that it would not be sustainable.