Tunis — A Cabinet meeting held on Monday to discuss ways of improving the governance of the hygiene and environmental care system and institutionalising coordination between the various stakeholders approved an action programme with a strict implementation timetable.
This includes a series of decisions on the governance and efficiency of the hygiene and environmental care, according to a statement issued by the Prime Ministry.
In this context, the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries and the Ministry of State Property and Land Affairs have been asked to allocate land in the various regions for the establishment of waste treatment units according to need.
It was also decided to clarify the status of the 165 landfills used by municipalities, to rationalise maintenance operations, to require cooperation between municipalities and to group neighbouring landfills in order to reduce the costs of environmental degradation.
This is will overcoming the difficulties that hinder the maintenance and reclamation of this type of landfill, especially those located on public or private state property, including forests, springs, valleys and agricultural land.
The decisions also included the allocation of exceptional financial support to municipalities in order to promote integration between the public and private sectors, while at the same time ensuring support for monitoring and stricter follow-up of exploitation.
It was also decided to introduce a selective sorting system, adopting the principle of gradual implementation, starting with large producers and closed areas.
Within the framework of this action programme, it has been decided to speed up regularising the status of a number of regional landfills programmed in several governorates of the Republic and to find a line of financing for the maintenance and upgrading of the municipal landfills in use for a period of 03 to 05 years, pending the installation of the programmed treatment and valorisation units.
This is in addition to rebuilding the monitoring and reporting system and the creation of specialised teams for this purpose.
The Cabinet decided to set up an exceptional programme to help local authorities make up the shortfall in waste collection and transport, based on the principle of real-time intervention to eliminate waste accumulation points by mobilising central and regional efforts.
According to the statement, regulatory and deterrent measures will be taken to control the spread of the phenomenon of the indiscriminate dumping of demolition and construction waste. Landfills for the dumping of this type of waste will be provided between neighbouring municipalities or governorates, with an exceptional programme for their maintenance.
It was also decided to institutionalise coordination between the structures involved in the cleaning system in order to ensure the effectiveness and integration of interventions according to measurable indicators, to radically revise a number of legal texts related to waste recycling and the development of its added value within the circular economy, in addition to establishing a special system for waste from shops.
In the same context, specifications for the establishment of waste valorisation companies will be issued, and the control system in municipalities will be reviewed and developed to reduce violations and ensure the sustainability of the cleanliness and aesthetics of cities.
In addition, the production and marketing of single-use plastics will be reduced by accelerating the completion of the revision of the regulation banning the production, distribution and supply of single-use plastic bags.
According to the same statement, a structural solution will be developed to address the phenomenon of 'barbesha' waste pickers operating in public spaces and landfills, and to integrate them into the organised sector.
In addition, practical visions will be presented for the restructuring of public enterprises and facilities, especially in the systems of waste management, valorisation and environmental protection; the development of projects to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills by simplifying administrative procedures; the establishment of composting stations, compostable waste collection centres and biogas production units during the next plan; and the development of communication and awareness methods to ensure the sustainable cleanliness of cities.
Prime Minister Kamel Madouri stressed the importance that the President of the Republic attaches to the environmental file and the right to a healthy and balanced environment, as well as the need to further strengthen the governance of the cleanliness and environmental care system.
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This is besides the need to increase the efficiency and complementarity of the different roles of the various public bodies involved, in order to ensure the establishment of an integrated approach that reconciles the needs of waste collection and valorisation and guarantees living in a healthy and sustainable environment.
In this context, he underscored the importance of building models of sustainable cities, characterised by attractiveness, innovation, adaptability and resilience, and improving the management of their natural and human resources in a responsible and efficient manner.
The Prime Minister also underlined the importance of reviewing the legal and institutional framework dealing with cleanliness and environmental protection to ensure its suitability to the various environmental changes and challenges.
He emphasised the need to establish a comprehensive system for waste management and recycling in accordance with the latest waste management, treatment and disposal technologies in a safe, environmentally and socially responsible manner, and to transform them into resources that can be used in economic and environmental fields.
