Govt still to account for the plastic levy

While the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism is considering a complete ban of the use of plastic carrier bags, there is still no word regarding the collection of the levy paid by consumers since 2007.

Asked why the current levy enjoyed by businesses could not be stopped since it was not serving the intended purpose, the Minister of Environment, Tshekedi Khama said the levy was not governed by his ministry but by his trade counterpart.

Khama said it was initially the intention of his ministry to advise government to introduce the levy but has since been advised against the idea. He said it would be complex to administer and may not serve the purpose for which it was meant.  He said such an advice was from Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry during consultations.

“There is therefore no plan to introduce the plastic levy. This notwithstanding, the National Strategy Office had requested for further consultations on the same which have not been conclusive up to now. It is our hope that a worthwhile solution will emerge from the consultations, failing which my ministry will press ahead with the ban”, the minister said when responding to a question from MP for Gaborone North, Haskins Nkaigwa on any plans by his ministry to introduce the levy.

Ever since the levy was introduced in 2007 government has never made any collection from the shops.Bottom of Form Parliament passed the plastic bag amendment to the Waste Management Act in August 2006 and the new law was implemented the following year. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism Elias Magosi last year told the Parliament Public Accounts Committee that the collection of the money from the levy was supposed to be done by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

He said as much as the levy was passed in 2007, collection of the money has not been done. Magosi explained that the government initially introduced the levy in order to reduce the use of plastic bags on account of environmental concerns.Consumers currently pay between 35 and 50 thebe for a plastic bag, an amount that rose from between 15 and 25thebe for a bag when the levy was introduced in 2007.