Environment Minister Mariyam Shakeela signed a memorandum of understanding with the Maldives Customs Service Commissioner General Mohamed Aswan today (July 18) to facilitate the implementation of the “Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer”.

Shakeela noted that imports of air conditioning, freezers, minibars and water coolers containing HCFC would soon be banned.

“We are now getting ready for that. But such moves aren’t possible without the assistance of institutions such as customs,” she said.