Businesses dealing in hazardous chemicals have been given one month to register their operations and obtain the required licence, the Ministry of Defence and National Service has announced.

The ministry said businesses that import, store, use, sell or dispose of hazardous chemicals are required to comply with the Regulation on Hazardous Chemicals, enacted under the Prohibited Imports Act.

The ministry further noted that inspections have revealed that some businesses have been storing and selling hazardous chemicals without obtaining the required licence. It warned that storing such chemicals in facilities that do not meet safety standards poses a serious risk of accidents and endangers public safety.

The ministry has therefore instructed all businesses dealing in hazardous chemicals to register their storage facilities through the Makudi Portal and apply for a chemical sales licence within one month.

It said licences will only be issued after storage facilities have been inspected and found to meet the required standards for the safe handling, storage and management of hazardous chemicals.

The ministry warned that enforcement action will be taken against businesses that continue to operate without registering and obtaining the required licence after the one-month grace period.

The latest figures released by the ministry show there are 144 chemical storage facilities and 62 chemical retail outletsin Malé.

The announcement comes amid continued concerns over fires linked to hazardous chemicals in the capital. One of the most serious incidents occurred in 2019, when a fire at a chemical warehouse in H. Thilafushige claimed one life and caused extensive damage. Following the incident, the Government decided to relocate chemical warehouses from Malé to Thilafushi.