New bill to oblige local govts to open eco-friendly dumping sites

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 04/08/2008 11:52 AM  |  Headlines

The House of Representatives is set to pass a new bill on garbage management that would oblige local administrations to convert all open dumping areas into eco-friendly sites in the next five years.

Hendarso Hadiparmono, who heads the House team discussing the bill, said the House Commission VII overseeing environmental affairs had almost completed deliberating the draft law.

"The House plans to pass the bill on Wednesday," he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Hendarso said the bill, which was the government's initiative, was necessary due to increasing garbage volumes and types.

"This is caused by an increasing population and its activities," he said.

He said the bill reinforced the government's duty and authority in garbage management.

It requires regional administrations to transform all open dumping areas into sanitary landfill sites that used nature-friendly garbage management systems, he said.

"The regional governments must finish their plans to close dumping areas within one year of the passing of this bill," he added.

The local administrations, he added, must then implement their plans within five years after the law became effective.

"In five years, all garbage sites that use an open system must be closed," Hendarso said.

The closing of open dumping areas would comprise three steps. Operations in the dumping area would cease, and then the government would take steps to mitigate negative effects associated with the closing. Finally, the government would convert and reuse the sites for environmentally-friendly garbage management activities.

"Further detail will be stipulated by the supporting regulations," said Hendarso.

Hendarso said the bill imposed sanctions on institutions falling short of standards in garbage management.

Intentional violation of the regulations would result in a prison sentence of four to 10 years and a fine of Rp 100 million to Rp 5 billion, as stipulated in the bill.

Violators are also threatened with five to 15 years in prison and a Rp 100 million to Rp 5 billion fine if their wrongdoings cause somebody's death.

Tjatur Saptoedy, another member of the House team, said the bill also imposed tough sanctions on those importing garbage into Indonesia.

"Importing garbage is not allowed at all," he said.

Tjatur said the maximum sanctions on importers of household garbage were three to nine years in prison and a Rp 100 million to Rp 3 billion fine.

If the imported garbage is toxic, the importer could be jailed four to 12 years and receive a fine of between Rp 200 million and Rp 5 billion.

Tjatur said this legislation would also create the incentive for the private sector to increase the use of recycled materials in their products. (alf)

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