By Pemphero Malimba:
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change has said the government will, on July 8 2024, resume enforcement of regulations on thin plastics.
The ministry’s principal secretary Yusuf Mkungula announced this Monday during a press briefing held in Lilongwe.
Last week, the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal made by Golden Plastics Limited on the legality of the regulations that were gazetted in 2015.
The regulations were developed to safeguard the right to a clean and healthy environment as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi and the Environment Management Act.
However, since 2015, enforcement of the regulations has faced legal battles in the country’s courts.
Mkungula said the government warmly welcomes the ruling and is ready to embark on the enforcement.
“Mepa [Malawi Environment Protection Authority] will resume implementation of the Environment Management (Plastics Regulations) 14 days after publication of the press release on the same, which essentially is on Monday the 8th of July 2024,” he said.
He said the government, through Mepa, will be conducting inspections where testing of thickness of the plastic bags using appropriate instruments will be done.
“The manufacturing, distribution, importation, sale and use of plastics of less than 60 microns is illegal and punishable by law.
“Should any person including manufacturers, producers, traders and dealers be found with plastics which are banned, appropriate enforcement action will be taken according to the law,” he said.
He observed that over the years, the use of thin plastics has negatively affected the environment.
“In the years that this matter has been in various courts, the environment has suffered from the effects of plastic waste pollution since the country continued to import, manufacture, trade and commercially distribute thin plastics due to the inability of Mepa to implement the regulations including taking enforcement actions,” he said.
Mepa Board Chairperson Robert Kafakoma said they will work with various agencies in enforcing the regulations.
“We, as Malawians, need to believe that we can use other carrier bags other than thin plastics when carrying various items and the enforcement will be easy,” he said.
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