New plot to fail kaveera ban: Will politicians act?
Apr 26, 2009
HE had kept in the shadows of the local plastic manufacturers until recently when he met a team of environmental officials led by the state minister of environment, Jessica Eriyo.<br>
By Gerald Tenywa
HE had kept in the shadows of the local plastic manufacturers until recently when he met a team of environmental officials led by the state minister of environment, Jessica Eriyo.
Gideon Badagawa, the executive director of the Uganda Manufacturers’ Association (UMA), took the upper hand at the meeting. He was playing the devil’s advocate — pushing the views of investors who have been unhappy over the restrictions imposed on polythene bags two years ago.
It has emerged that UMA wants a paper recommending the lifting of the ban on polythene bags prepared as a lobbying tool for discussion with the Movement caucus, Cabinet and Parliament.
If this sails through, the coming budget speech in June is likely to lift the current partial ban on plastic bags.
“We are looking at resolving the problem of polythene from the users’ side,†says Badagawa. “It is possible to use kaveera in a responsible manner.
We need to educate the public, collect waste for recycling and enforce the environment and public health laws.â€
But the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) says this is not going to work. “What they are talking about is hot air,†says Dr. Gerald Sawula Musoke, the deputy executive director of NEMA.
“We prepared a paper advocating a total ban and the manufacturers have been talking of putting in place a waste recycling plant.â€
This, Musoke says, is lip-service because manufacturers have been fronting the waste recycling factory as the magic bullet meant to solve the problem.
“We have not seen an intervention for decades,†says Musoke.
Other sources say the manufacturers have been saying they want clean polythene bags for recycling.
“Can you imagine the dirt which polythene bags, particularly in slums and drainage channels, contain?
“It would cost a lot of money to retrieve and clean dirty polythene bags in order to take them for recycling,†says Musoke.
Musoke says there is a powerful lobby pushing for the lifting of the ban on kaveera, but he insists this will take the country many steps backwards.
“The fresh manoeuvres to remove the ban have not come to my attention, but the politicians and environmentalists have always wanted polythene bags banned,†says Musoke. “The way to go is to impose a total ban.â€
However, Musoke says NEMA sympathises with the manufacturers since they are losing business to their Kenyan counterparts.
The polythene bags smuggled into Uganda are sold cheaply.
Lately, manufactures have been raising their dissatisfaction about Kenya’s backtracking on the agreed position of banning polythene bags of 30 microns and below because they were being edged out of business.
They also say the cost to produce plastics above 30 microns has gone up by over 50%.
According to UMA, if a total ban is imposed on polythene, there will be loss of about 3,000 jobs and taxes.
In addition, the polythene factories will relocate to Kisumu which borders Uganda and continue producing polythene, which will end up in Uganda.
Investigations by The New Vision indicate that the state minister, Jessica Eriyo, reportedly remarked at the meeting: “We want to give a final answer on polythene bags.â€
At the same meeting, UMA presented its five-point strategy — proposing establishing a recycling facility in the country and enforcement of regulation on plastics with particular emphasis on self-policing and creation of a green levy on imported polythene.
Other interventions in their strategy include establishment of collection centres for polythene bags and creation of awareness countrywide.
UMA believes if this strategy is approved by the environment ministry, it will replace the current ban on polythene.
While investors who have, for years, been profiteering from making polythene bags are proposing to regulate themselves and pool money to clean the environment, environmentalists have remained skeptical about the move.
Those who attended the meeting and spoke to The New Vision said Eriyo was concerned about the manufacturers’ capacity and interest in recycling and how they intend to do it.
This is because there are claims that manufacturers have recycling facilities and yet waste is still a menace.
The minister ruled that a committee be formed to study UMA’s proposal and develop a position paper which will be submitted to the caucus, then Cabinet and finally Parliament before the budget speech.
She also instructed the committee to develop terms of reference by April 25 and to develop the position paper within one-and-a-half months.
Sources who spoke to The New Vision on condition of anonymity, said the hidden intention of the meeting was to flout the ban.
Others say achievements of a committee comprising NEMA and the Uganda Revenue Authority that has been implementing the ban, is likely to be affected.
“A removal of the ban will bring everything tumbling down,†says a source within NEMA.
Jabir Luswaata, a businessman dealing in paper bags which he exports to Rwanda where polythene bags were banned says: “Who is going to clean up the polythene bags that are already in the environment? Everybody, including the manufacturers, are silent about this.â€
Uganda is fast attaining the image of a “dirty country†because of the invasion of industries which use obsolete technologies.
Luswata’s company is carrying out an awareness campaign about the dangers of polythene bags across Uganda and this is paying off. For instance, Engen, which deals in oil, has embraced voluntary compliance.
In Entebbe Municipality, negotiations are in advanced stages to impose restrictions on polythene bags.
It is a fight with strong commercial interests on one hand and protection of the environment on the other.
Will politicians see sense and impose a total ban on polythene in the next two months or will they listen to Badagawa’s proposal and give kaveera manufacturers the greenlight?
HE had kept in the shadows of the local plastic manufacturers until recently when he met a team of environmental officials led by the state minister of environment, Jessica Eriyo.
Gideon Badagawa, the executive director of the Uganda Manufacturers’ Association (UMA), took the upper hand at the meeting. He was playing the devil’s advocate — pushing the views of investors who have been unhappy over the restrictions imposed on polythene bags two years ago.
It has emerged that UMA wants a paper recommending the lifting of the ban on polythene bags prepared as a lobbying tool for discussion with the Movement caucus, Cabinet and Parliament.
If this sails through, the coming budget speech in June is likely to lift the current partial ban on plastic bags.
“We are looking at resolving the problem of polythene from the users’ side,†says Badagawa. “It is possible to use kaveera in a responsible manner.
We need to educate the public, collect waste for recycling and enforce the environment and public health laws.â€
But the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) says this is not going to work. “What they are talking about is hot air,†says Dr. Gerald Sawula Musoke, the deputy executive director of NEMA.
“We prepared a paper advocating a total ban and the manufacturers have been talking of putting in place a waste recycling plant.â€
This, Musoke says, is lip-service because manufacturers have been fronting the waste recycling factory as the magic bullet meant to solve the problem.
“We have not seen an intervention for decades,†says Musoke.
Other sources say the manufacturers have been saying they want clean polythene bags for recycling.
“Can you imagine the dirt which polythene bags, particularly in slums and drainage channels, contain?
“It would cost a lot of money to retrieve and clean dirty polythene bags in order to take them for recycling,†says Musoke.
Musoke says there is a powerful lobby pushing for the lifting of the ban on kaveera, but he insists this will take the country many steps backwards.
“The fresh manoeuvres to remove the ban have not come to my attention, but the politicians and environmentalists have always wanted polythene bags banned,†says Musoke. “The way to go is to impose a total ban.â€
However, Musoke says NEMA sympathises with the manufacturers since they are losing business to their Kenyan counterparts.
The polythene bags smuggled into Uganda are sold cheaply.
Lately, manufactures have been raising their dissatisfaction about Kenya’s backtracking on the agreed position of banning polythene bags of 30 microns and below because they were being edged out of business.
They also say the cost to produce plastics above 30 microns has gone up by over 50%.
According to UMA, if a total ban is imposed on polythene, there will be loss of about 3,000 jobs and taxes.
In addition, the polythene factories will relocate to Kisumu which borders Uganda and continue producing polythene, which will end up in Uganda.
Investigations by The New Vision indicate that the state minister, Jessica Eriyo, reportedly remarked at the meeting: “We want to give a final answer on polythene bags.â€
At the same meeting, UMA presented its five-point strategy — proposing establishing a recycling facility in the country and enforcement of regulation on plastics with particular emphasis on self-policing and creation of a green levy on imported polythene.
Other interventions in their strategy include establishment of collection centres for polythene bags and creation of awareness countrywide.
UMA believes if this strategy is approved by the environment ministry, it will replace the current ban on polythene.
While investors who have, for years, been profiteering from making polythene bags are proposing to regulate themselves and pool money to clean the environment, environmentalists have remained skeptical about the move.
Those who attended the meeting and spoke to The New Vision said Eriyo was concerned about the manufacturers’ capacity and interest in recycling and how they intend to do it.
This is because there are claims that manufacturers have recycling facilities and yet waste is still a menace.
The minister ruled that a committee be formed to study UMA’s proposal and develop a position paper which will be submitted to the caucus, then Cabinet and finally Parliament before the budget speech.
She also instructed the committee to develop terms of reference by April 25 and to develop the position paper within one-and-a-half months.
Sources who spoke to The New Vision on condition of anonymity, said the hidden intention of the meeting was to flout the ban.
Others say achievements of a committee comprising NEMA and the Uganda Revenue Authority that has been implementing the ban, is likely to be affected.
“A removal of the ban will bring everything tumbling down,†says a source within NEMA.
Jabir Luswaata, a businessman dealing in paper bags which he exports to Rwanda where polythene bags were banned says: “Who is going to clean up the polythene bags that are already in the environment? Everybody, including the manufacturers, are silent about this.â€
Uganda is fast attaining the image of a “dirty country†because of the invasion of industries which use obsolete technologies.
Luswata’s company is carrying out an awareness campaign about the dangers of polythene bags across Uganda and this is paying off. For instance, Engen, which deals in oil, has embraced voluntary compliance.
In Entebbe Municipality, negotiations are in advanced stages to impose restrictions on polythene bags.
It is a fight with strong commercial interests on one hand and protection of the environment on the other.
Will politicians see sense and impose a total ban on polythene in the next two months or will they listen to Badagawa’s proposal and give kaveera manufacturers the greenlight?