Will waste scheme participants be forced to pay? - Żminijietna

Żminijietna - the Voice of the Left - expressed its concern at what it described as the 'mismanagement' concerning the upcoming door-to-door waste separation scheme.

In a statement, Żminijietna said it hoped the scheme does not turn out to be a flop whereby civic-minded participants are forced to pay for helping to keep the environment clean.

It said: "The massive advertising campaign failed, given that the date of commencement of the scheme has passed.

"Now it is becoming clear that the government has no clear plan regarding the financing of the scheme after the two-month trial period, as there is disagreement over who should pay for it."

As things stand, local councils are already overstretched with expenses, and Żminijietna warned that the situation would become farcical if residents are made to pay for the garbage bags that are to be distributed for the specific scheme. This would run contrary to the 'polluter pays' principle.

Żminijietna urged the government to finance the scheme from revenue currently generated from eco-tax and not by adding more burdens.

Żminijietna appealed to the government to be more serious in the management of this otherwise commendable scheme, so as to encourage people to participate, especially since Malta's bring-in sites are not accessible for everyone.