This ‘eco-contribution’ shows the government’s commitment in favour of the environment and is a concrete action after many years of just words criticism, the government said.

This eco-contribution was announced in last year’s Budget Speech. Since then, the government has been implementing its plan: after the closure of the Maghtab and Qortin landfills, these sites will now be rehabilitated.

Waste management costs money: in this year alone Lm4 million will be spent. In the next three years capital expenditure will amount to e32 million will be spent.

The government does not intend to finance all its coming expenditure, through the eco-contribution, the DOI said. This is just the first step to implement the polluter pays principle.

The government will always be willing to listen and respond to suggestions so that this contribution can be made more effective. It was for this reason that government has accepted the FOI suggestion to create a commission to facilitate the implementation of the measure.

Nor is it true, the statement said, that government will be increasing bureaucracy unduly. This contribution will be collected through a declaration which will be affixed to the VAT return: thus there will not be any extra forms to fill in.

Nor can the introduction of the eco contribution be postponed: this is an important step in an ambitious programme for the implementation of waste management . Government intends to continue with its plan to manage waste once and for all. It also intends the contribution to change consumer patterns so as to turn around the negative impact of the former consumption pattern on the environment.