The revisions to the act have already been discussed and approved, in principle, by the Cabinet. They will be given the final go-ahead next week after the concerned ministries make the finishing touches.

The Prime Minister confirmed that government had plans to clamp down on illegal dumping during an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday

editor Noel Grima on the Granaries, as part of the Nationalist Party’s Independence Day celebrations programme, after TMID broke the news on 11 September.

The measures, resources and infrastructure ministry policy coordinator Melvyn Mangion confirmed, will include hefty increases on the fines already contemplated in the act.

The emphasis will be placed on enforcement.

In fact, while the actual set-up is still being discussed, wardens will most probably be given jurisdiction over the issue, enabling them to issue fines on illegal dumping.

A section of the police force could also be involved in the enforcement of the law. The matter will be discussed in detail with the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry in the coming days, since both the wardens and the police force fall under this ministry’s responsibilities. Minister Borg was involved in the discussions from the start but was not present at yesterday’s meeting.

The reform is being introduced as part of the overhaul government said it would be implementing in the waste disposal sector. To this effect, Minister Pullicino had announced that along with the introduction of some 300-350 bring-in sites, there will also be three or four civic amenity sites introduced to cater for bulky refuse. People will be able to dispose of bulky waste directly.

So far, despite that the fact local councils provide bulky refuse collection services, illegal dumping is still rampant and actually has been on the rise in recent years, sources told TMID. More details about the actual revisions to the act and the enforcement system to be implemented should be made public in the coming days.