Budgetary reform of eco-contribution

Earlier this week the PL called for an urgent budgetary reform of the eco-contribution system. While some media chose to ignore this public appeal to the government, others tried to give the impression that the PL was not that clear as to what it really had in mind.

Particularly since rumour is abounding that some cosmetic changes might be made to the system, we feel that all those promises made to the commercial community in the past should be honoured without further undue delay.

When the eco-contribution was introduced in 2004, the government had promised importers that if they take up recycling seriously they will either be refunded or exempted from the scheme.

We are aware that other organisations are holding back from fully implementing their government approved schemes until or unless such eco-contribution refunds are committed to by the government.

Notwithstanding the fact that many companies are known to have taken up packaging recycling, the government has so far failed to honour its own commitments with the consequence that yet another pledge has fallen on deaf ears.

We also hope that a level playing field will be applied in the running of this scheme. It is also in the public interest for it to know where we stand with the EU on waste packaging directives and what are all the waste-related infringements pending and or in the pipeline.

We are all for a truly green tax but, as implemented in practice, this is nothing but a blanket tax that has little to do with environmentally-friendly consumption.

We are equally concerned that the eco-contribution has merely served the purpose of financing Wasteserv's inefficiencies and mismanagement so far.