DILI, 15 february 2021 (TATOLI) –The Secretary State for Environment implements the strategy to cut down on single-use plastics and Styrofoam as part of the Government’s strategic plan to guarantee healthy environment.
Speaking shortly during the interview, The Secretary of State for the Environmental, Demétrio Amaral said, the face out strategy will be targeting on combating a single-use plastic. At this point he said, the target is to have zero disposed to a single use of plastics including 500ml of water glass.
The Decree Law-Draft was issued by the President of Republic, Francisco Guterres Lú Olo on September 23, 2020.
The SEA has derived the operationalization for the decree law no. 37/2020 which underlined the first material to be eliminated.
Mr Amaral in his explanation, he said his office has come across distinct problems in particular way that some of the companies are continued to use the plastics.
The Environmental Secretary issued a copied of operasionalisation with the calculation to give alternative to the entities of the companies in Timor-Leste.
“We have contacted the costume authority to provide the lists of the materials that will target for disposal and prevent the import of the single use plastics and other plastics materials,” Amaral said.
The government has prevented the import of plastics and notified the industry company that has been producing the single use of plastic in Timor-Leste.
Other strategies of SEA is to produce the list of temporary for the plastic bootle, plastic of sugar, plastic of salt, and other plastics following the decree law.
“We implement this to the entire entities who are importing the plastics in the list of face down strategy with the 30% of taxes according to the fiscal barriers ordered by law essential to the State income for the environmental improvement,” he said.
According to Amaral, when the decree law is implementing, it indication not only for the environment but also for the national economy stability now that the Government will coordinate with the companies to stablish and begin to produce the bags for the substitution in the market.
“We need more companies to invest in producing the bags made from other materials like cassava, traditional materials, spun bond and bags,” he said.
Thus, he requires to all entities to contribute for the politic of zero plastic to protect environment and turn Timor-Leste to be an example to combat the plastic in the world including the nation of plastic neutral.
The Entities that will monitor the decree law is SEA, Ministry of Coordinator for the Economy Affair, AIFESA, Tradeinvest and Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Costum.
Journalist: Florêncio Miranda Ximenes
Editor: Julia Chatarina
