.svg)
The unanimous decision by the Malé City Council to submit a formal complaint to the Utility Regulatory Authority highlights escalating tensions over state-owned utility pricing, aiming to curb excessive operational costs that draw directly from municipal funds for public services.
News Desk
Male' city councilors' meeting - Photo: Male' City Council
MALÉ: The Malé City Council has unanimously decided to file a formal complaint with the Utility Regulatory Authority (URA) regarding the high waste disposal rates charged by the Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO) and its refusal to register the council under standard rates.
The decision was approved during a council meeting following a proposal submitted by Maafannu North Councillor Hussain Furushan.
Addressing the council, Councillor Furushan pointed out that under a 2019 agreement between the city council and WAMCO, the fee was set at MVR 300. However, the state waste management company is currently charging the municipality nearly 12 times higher than standard rates.
Commercial vs. Council Rates: While WAMCO charges general commercial customers between MVR 750 and MVR 1,250 for waste disposal, the council is charged MVR 12,810 for a single 3.5-tonne pickup load.
Per-Tonne Discrepancy: Even at a standard rate of MVR 500 per tonne, disposing of a 3.5-tonne load should cost approximately MVR 1,890.
Public Expenditure: Councillor Furushan highlighted that the council spent over MVR 35 million on waste disposal in 2025 alone to clean waste generated by residents of the capital.
SOE Mandate Concerns: With WAMCO recording a profit of MVR 24 million after billing waste fees directly through electricity meters, the council argued that state-owned enterprises should focus on delivering affordable public services rather than maximizing profits off municipal bodies.
Following the unanimous vote, the city council decided to review its existing agreements with WAMCO before formally submitting the issue to the URA and other relevant government authorities. The matter has also been referred to the council’s Waste Management Committee for further evaluation.
