MINISTER of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Union and Environment) Dr Selemani Jafo has issued a seven-day ultimatum to all traders with prohibited plastic bags in their stores to surrender them to the District Commissioners’ offices or return to factories from which they purchased.
Minister Jafo issued the order after visiting Swallow Investment Ltd which was fined 100m/- for producing 41 tonnes of prohibited plastic bags.
Minister Jafo commended Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Amos Makalla for carrying out an operation which resulted in the confiscation of the consignment of restricted plastic bags.
Minister Jafo directed the factory owner to pay the fine within 14 days, including bearing the cost for destroying the consignment.
The minister also directed the company to start the process of obtaining an environmental impact assessment certificate, asking Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Tanzania Building Agency National Social Security Funds and other institutions to assess the establishment of the factory to verify whether it followed the required procedures during its establishment.
The minister also asked all the Regional and Districts Commissioners to emulate RC Makalla’s example by ensuring the government ban on all prohibited plastic bags is fully enforced to protect environment and human health.
On his part, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Amos Makalla thanked Vice President Dr Philip Mpango and the minister for supporting them in the operation.
Makalla assured the minister that in the campaign of “Safisha, Pendezesha Dar es Salaam” will go hand in hand with collecting the plastic bags that are banned by the government.
“In order to succeed in our campaign of beautifying the city, we must carry out this operation by collecting and confiscating prohibited plastic bags,” said Makalla.
The RC assured the minister that they will ensure that they implement his directives of ensuring all factories involved in the production of banned plastic bags destroy them and pay the fines.
On his part, Kinondoni District Commissioner, Godwin Gondwe said that they will carry out thorough investigation to to establish other deficiencies of the factory fined after being found engaging in the production of banned plastic bags.
On his side, NEMC’s Senior Environmental Officer, Mr Erick Fussi, said that the produced plastic bags were below the required level of 30 microns, making them illegal.
