President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has established the Utility Regulatory Authority, under the Ministry of Environment.
The announcement was made public on December 13 through a directive released by the President's Office. The authority was established following the ratification of the Utility Regulatory Authority Act.
The establishment of a Utility Regulatory Authority is mandated under section 3A of the new Act. The Act defines the mandate of the regulatory body, including general guidelines, plans and procedures in the provision of utility services.
The objectives of the Act include providing hight quality utility services to all those residing in the Maldives in a more affordable, sustainable and trustworthy manner which is efficient and also environment friendly. Another objective of the Act is to establish a penalising mechanism to ensure that special laws and regulations in relation to utility services are adhered to.
With the formation of the Utility Regulatory Authority, the Maldives Energy Authority, which functioned under the Ministry of Environment, has been dissolved.
The directive also specifies that the number 485 should be used in all official letters sent to the Utility Regulatory Authority under the numbering system for state agencies.