Gerald Tenywa
28 December 2008
Kampala — UGANDA has expressed concern over the decision by Kenyan government to lift the ban on plastic bags by the three East African countries a year ago.
"A policy committee will be convened soon to discuss this new development," said Jessica Eriyo, the environment state minister.
"The Cabinet made a decision to work towards putting a total ban on the manufacture and importation of plastic bags."
Eriyo said the states had resolved to ban the production and use of plastic bags of 30 microns and below.
Other measures to stifle the production and use of plastics included a tax of 120% on plastics above 30 microns, Eriyo said.
"The decision by Kenya raises so many concerns because this is taking Uganda so many steps backwards," she said.
"We thought a collective decision would help since the different positions cause smuggling of plastics across borders."
The minister was speaking after a meeting organised by environment bodies and the water ministry at Colline Hotel in Mukono.
She expressed disappointment that the private sector had not come up with alternatives to plastic bags.
Asked why the tax on plastic bags is not kept in an environmental fund to subsidise producers of paper or cloth bags, Eriyo replied that this would be discussed by the policy committee. Dr. Aryamanya Mugisha, the executive director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), said with effect from December 1, the Kenyan government had resolved to allow manufacturers produce plastic bags of 20 microns for domestic use and 10 microns for export.
This, he warned, could fuel the smuggling of the banned plastics bags also known buveera.
Dick Lufafa, a NEMA official, last week said a tonne of plastic bags, which had been smuggled into Uganda from Kenya, had been impounded by the Uganda Revenue Authority at Portbell on Lake Victoria.
Over 100 tonnes of buveera, he said, were confiscated this year, most which were being imported from Kenya.
Plastic bags pose a challenge to the environment and agricultural productivity of soils because they block drainage channels and prevent water from filtering through the soil.
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