Male’ City Council has initiated discussions to set up designated smoking kiosks across the Maldivian capital in a bid to curb public smoking and improve urban air quality.
As per the Council’s social media, representatives from the Malé City Council, led by Deputy Mayor Mohamed Mekhael along with members of the council’s Health Committee and Urban Committee, met officials from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to deliberate the planned infrastructure project.
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Under the proposal, local authorities will construct designated smoking kiosks at strategic locations across Malé City. The initiative aligns with statutory obligations under existing smoking control regulations aimed at restricting tobacco use in open public spaces and creating a cleaner environment for residents.
Male’ City council representatives emphasised that restricting smoking to designated areas forms part of broader municipal strategy to reduce passive exposure to tobacco smoke in crowded pedestrian zones. Further consultations between civic planners and public health officials will refine the specifications, safety guidelines, and proposed locations for the installations before the rollout begins.
The proposal for localized kiosks follows significant policy shifts by the national government over the past year. Authorities have implemented a landmark “generational tobacco ban,” which prohibits the sale, purchase, and consumption of tobacco products for anyone born on or after 1 January 2007.
At the same time, national tax policy on tobacco products has undergone a noticeable reversal. Following a sharp import duty increase in late 2024 that doubled cigarette prices, the government moved to halve import duties.
Authorities defended the price reduction by pointing to a surge in illicit trade, loose tobacco smuggling, and a drop in state revenues as official imports fell by over 75 per cent. While health advocates and international bodies expressed concern over making cigarettes more affordable once again, government officials stated that the reduced tax rate aims to curb the black market while regulatory efforts focus on age restrictions and public usage limits.
