Gov’t Approves Nationwide Tobacco Cessation Clinics
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, under the advice of the Cabinet, has passed a decree to create tobacco cessation clinics in all islands and cities across the nation.
The decision was arrived at the Cabinet sitting held on Sunday after deliberating on a paper submitted by the Ministry of Health.
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Following the decision, the President has also authorised the provision of all necessary medications for individuals seeking to quit tobacco use, available through STO at all city and atoll hospitals.
Additionally, cessation services are to be classified as preventative health care services.
Under the Administration’s master plan on tobacco cessation, the President had already introduced several reforms. As such, changes have been brought to the Tobacco Control Act and Export-Import Act, which has resulted in increased levies on cigarettes and electronic smoking devices, as well as consumption. These amendments were introduced with the aim of bringing a lasting solution to tobacco consumption within a four-year period.
New Prison Policy Links Rehabilitation Progress to Pardons
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has approved the plan to expand work opportunities for inmates both within and outside prison facilities.
Under this new framework, those who complete rehabilitation programmes according to guidelines set by the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology and Maldives Correctional Service will be eligible for sentence reductions and pardons through a structured system.
The decision was made by the President after deliberations during the Cabinet meeting held on December 1, 2024, following a paper from the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.
Drawing from the paper presented at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting and with the Cabinet’s advice, the President has authorised several key reforms. These include implementing a new rehabilitation framework, modifying the system to enhance employment prospects for inmates both inside and outside prisons, and integrating the rehabilitation framework with pardons, parole and sentence reduction mechanisms.
The plan also calls for an expansion of community service initiatives. To ensure proper implementation, relevant Government agencies have been assigned specific responsibilities with a defined timeline for achieving and monitoring key objectives.
