Ministry Extends Hazardous Chemical Registration Deadline by One Month
Authorities warned that non-compliant traders face strict legal consequences once the extended grace period ends. | Photo: Envato
The Ministry of Defence and National Service has granted a one-month extension for hazardous chemical vendors across the Maldives to obtain official trading permits and register their storage facilities, following low compliance rates during the initial application window.
According to the announcement posted on Gazette yesteday, authorities required all businesses selling hazardous chemicals to acquire a “Chemical Sale Permit” and register all storage and holding premises on the digital Makudi Portal. Although the original deadline has expired, official monitoring revealed that a relatively small proportion of operating vendors submitted applications and registered their premises within the allotted timeframe.
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In response, the Ministry has extended the registration period by one calendar month, effective today. The extension gives unregistered vendors a final opportunity to bring their operations into full compliance with national regulatory frameworks.
Authorities warned that non-compliant traders face strict legal consequences once the extended grace period ends. The Ministry confirmed that it will take formal enforcement action against failure to register under the Hazardous Chemicals Regulation.
Furthermore, non-compliant vendors will face an immediate revocation of their eligibility to obtain future hazardous chemical import permits into the country.
The Hazardous Chemicals Regulation was established on 23 September 2019. Enacted by the Ministry of Defence following a tragic chemical fire in Malé, it serves as the Maldives’ primary legal framework to protect public safety and the environment by controlling the import, storage, sale, transport, and disposal of dangerous substances. The regulation mandates that all vendors hold valid import and sales permits while registering their storage facilities on the central Makudi Portal to ensure compliance with strict physical and fire safety standards. Non-compliance leads to heavy financial penalties, the shutdown of unregistered facilities, and the immediate revocation of chemical import licenses.
