President Jokowi Calls for Waste Import Control

President Jokowi leads a Limited Cabinet Meeting on Imports of Garbage and Waste at Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Tuesday (27/8). (Photo by: Rahmat/PR)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has ordered his Cabinet to carefully handle the issue of rising waste import.

According to the President, waste import, especially scrap paper and plastic, on one hand can meet demands from industry for raw materials, but on the other hand the big amount of waste can potentially give rise to environmental destructions, especially if the waste cannot be recycled or contaminated with hazardous and toxic waste (B3).

President Jokowi also acknowledged he has received reports on the rising trend of waste import to Indonesia; yet he said that this trend is also found in other developing countries, not just in Indonesia.

“Therefore, measures to control waste imports must be taken,” President Jokowi said in his introductory remark at the Limited Cabinet Meeting on Waste Import at Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Tuesday (27/8).

Those measures, the President added, include maximizing waste potentials at home that can meet industries’ demands for raw materials and regulations to improve management of waste import. He added that these regulations must be immediately prepared.

“The third measure is strict enforcement of regulations and supervision of waste import to Indonesia as well as strict actions if violations are found on the ground,” he said.

On that occasion, President Jokowi also stressed the importance of coordination between relevant ministers so difference of opinions that can hinder the process of handling waste import can be avoided. (HIM/RAH/ES)

Translated by: Syarifah Aisyah
Edited by: M. Ersan Pamungkas