10 November 2009
editorial
Kampala — Recently, President Museveni met the board of Uganda Manufacturers' Association. Addressing the members, he said that plastic, like steel, is a base industry and goes into almost everything and that the ban on polythene material should be reviewed. Was the President quoted out of context?
Under the Finance Bill passed by Parliament recently, the importation, local manufacture, sale or use of polythene bags shall cease with effect from March 31, 2010. And this date was pushed forward from the initial deadline of January. The ban on kaveera of 30-micron and below was agreed upon by the five East Africa Community (EAC) member states in the 2007/2008 budget. What example will Uganda be setting if it back-tracks on this commitment? As we push for the East African integration, Uganda should not be seen to be diverting from critical issues agreed among the member states. The disadvantages of kaveera far outweigh its benefits. Yearning for short-term benefits is lack of foresight. In this year's budget speech, finance minister Syda Bbumba said the ban the manufacture, importation, sale and use of plastic bags is to protect the environment and human health. She was spot-on.
Plastic bags are non-biodegradable. They take between 15 and 1,000 years to breakdown in the environment. About 900 tonnes (20%) of plastic bags are manufactured every month by 15 factories, while 25,000 tonnes (80%) are imported into the country every month. According to the National Environment Management Authority 3,000 tonnes of waste plastic find their way into Ugandan soils every year and the public uses 25,900 tonnes of plastic bags every month! We simply cannot afford the cost of such environment abuse. Rwanda, next door, has banned kaveera and is doing very well. Uganda is better advised to promote investors willing to set up paper bag manufacturing industries. In the long run, this will be more beneficial to us and to posterity.
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