Businesses disappointed by eco-refund delays

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry insisted today that the government needed to keep its promise to refund eco-contributions to companies which had disposed of their waste in line with the Packaging Waste Directive.

Chamber president Helga Ellul said government officials had, two months ago, promised the chamber that the relevant legal notice would be issued ‘imminently' but nothing had happened.

Such delays, she said, were causing problems to businesses in a situation where cashflow was tight. Some 200 companies were involved, with some owed more than €200,000. The issue, she pointed out, went back two years and if it was allowed to go on, jobs and competitiveness would be undermined.

Ms Ellul said that these companies had ended up paying twice for waste disposal, by making their eco-contributions and paying for their own waste management arrangements.

The chamber was having daily contact with the ministries of finance and resources, she said, but it was not even known if businesses would be paid in a lump sum or by instalments.

It was right for the government to expect businesses to comply with the law, but businesses rightly expected that refunds promised to them were also given on time, Ms Ellul said.