JOIN DRIVERN TAXI AS PARTNER DRIVER TODAY!
The Lusaka City Council (LCC) says it has lobbied parliament to pass legislation that will compel the business community to dispose of their waste products within the capital city.
Lusaka Town Clerk Alex Mwansa says his council wants a law introduced to make manufactures and importers to be accountable for the entire life span of their products, goods and services they offer the local market.
LCC is confident that the measure will help improve solid waste management in the capital city that has been plagued by perennial accumulation of garbage across the city, he said.
The Town Clerk revealed that the local authority has to this effect requested Parliament to enact a law that will compel manufactures and importers to ensure that they are responsible for their products by taking care of their waste until final disposal.
ZANIS reports that this is contained in a statement made available by LCC Assistant Public Relations Manager Brenda Katongola in Lusaka today.
The Town Clerk explained that currently there was no legislation in Zambia that compels manufactures or importers to be responsible for disposing off their products due to lack of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law.
Mr Mwansa charged that the ‘mountains ‘ waste in most parts of Lusaka City result in blocked drainages and unpleasant surroundings.
The council has therefore found it fit that a law be put in place to compel manufacturers and importers to take responsibility for the entire life span of their products, he said.
The Town Clerk said the council will also recommended that a law be passed to introduce user fees to other utilities such as water or electricity.
"This will not only result in increasing the number of people paying for waste collection services, but it will also reduce on the amount required to be paid by individual waste producers.
The Lusaka City Council is mandated by law under the Local government (Solid Waste Management) regulations, Statutory Instrument number 100 of 2011 and the Solid Waste Management by-laws of 2004, to provide solid waste management services to residents in its area of jurisdiction.
Mr. Mwansa explained that cost recovery was one of the major challenges facing councils in Zambia in the area of solid waste management.
While Statutory Instrument number 100 of 2011 obliges waste producers to use and pay for solid waste management services, it requires waste managers to follow waste producers for payments.
"This results in some waste generators disposing of their waste at undesignated sites in an effort to avoid paying for generated waste ," explained said Mr. Mwansa in the statement.
The Town Clerk explained that the Lusaka City Council will put in place mitigation measures to manage solid waste by partnering with the private sector as provided for by the Local government Act under the solid waste management regulations in an effort to make Lusaka Clean.
