Gov’t Prepares Comprehensive Strategies to Address Waste Management Issues

President Prabowo holds a limited meeting on national waste management with a number of Red and White Cabinet ministers at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (03/12). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

President Prabowo Subianto Wednesday (03/12) held a limited meeting on national waste management with a number of Red and White Cabinet ministers at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta.

Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Affairs Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono confirmed that the Government paid special attention to waste management issues in various regions across Indonesia.

“We are aware of waste management issues that still prevail in a number of regencies in Indonesia. The people also have been raising this issue so we must take actions,” he said.

According to him, this limited meeting constitutes the Government’s strategic effort to address increasingly complex waste management issues. People’s awareness of the urgency of addressing waste issues is crucial. One of the efforts to raise people’s awareness is by educating them about waste management at school.

In addition, the Government will also focus on applying state-of-the-art technology and strengthening waste management infrastructure to address the problem.

“We must adopt several breakthroughs including technology and infrastructure that focuses on managing the waste from upstream to downstream, starting from the households, industries, commercial centers, and all establishments that produce waste,” he added.

The use of technology, he added, is expected to improve waste management from the integrated waste disposal sites (TSPT) to final disposal sites (TPA).

“Waste will be broken down or buried but we will focus on waste recycling. For waste recycling, it can be done by specific communities. As for waste incineration, the heat is then used to generate electricity,” he said.

The Coordinating Minister went on to say that President Prabowo Subianto has called for the establishment of a task force to accelerate national waste management, which will focus on infrastructure and implementation of policy on technology. The Central Government will cooperate with the regional governments in integrating this policy.

The Government, he added, will also make a national campaign “Indonesia free from waste”, aimed at raising people’s awareness and ensuring the sustainability of waste management issues. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (RAS/MUR)