DILI, 12 June 2023 (TATOLI)—The State Secretariat for the Environment (SSE) through the Directorate of National Biodiversity, will investigate the companies that continue producing plastic bags in Timor Leste.
Director of National Biodiversity, Rui dos Reis Pires, said this investigation will be carried out, because Government had established a policy of ‘Zero Plastic’, but many traders and street vendors continue to sell plastic bags, therefore SSE and the National Police of Timor – Leste (PNTL) will investigate the company that distributes the plastic bag in Timor – Leste.
“At the moment we are looking for the companies that still distributed plastic bags domestically and resell it at shops and street vendors, we are suspicious that the plastic is produced domestically, therefore, will investigate to identify the plastic supplier in Timor – Leste.,” Rui Pires told Tatoli at his office in Bebora Dili, this monday.
Pires said, SSE cannot blame or warn the traders because they bought the plastics only from the company that supplies it to them, therefore SSE will go directly to the supplier company.
“There are laws that regulate plastic producers. In 2022 SSE collect $ 100,000 from the distributors who were against the law of Zero plastics by paying the fine in Timor -Leste,” he said.
Therefore SSE appealed to people in Timor – Leste to prevent plastic waste, because it has a big impact on the environment, especially the sea, and can affect the death of fish and destroyed the biodiversity in the sea.
“To prevent this, everyone must contribute, by disposing of rubbish in its place,” he said.
He said, currently there are about 70 garbage trucks in Dili, but these trucks cannot transport all of them because the government has facilitated trash bins in many places, but people still don’t have the awareness to dispose of trash in its place.
“This is a problem for us because waste management is still a problem so it has an impact on the environment,” he said.
According to research, each person can produce half a kilogram of waste in Dili City, so everyday garbage trucks transport 240 tons to disposal in Tibar.
Related News:https://en.tatoli.tl/2023/06/09/govt-must-take-the-fight-against-plastic-pollution-seriously/14/
Journalist : Mirandolina Barros Soares
Editor : Armandina Moniz.
Translation: Camilo de Sousa
