Cyprus Mail 25 March 2021 - by George Psyllides
Parliament plans to pass a pay as you throw bill for rubbish management before the May 30 elections so that it can be put to force six months later by the new legislature, the chairman of the House environment committee said Wednesday.
Akel MP Giorgos Loukaides said the committee made several amendments to the bill that provides for the universal implementation of the pay as you throw system.
The changes concern special rates for vulnerable groups, setting fixed rates, and special arrangements for remote communities, which would deviate from the average in refuse management because of their particularities.
Loukaides said the committee will start examining the bill article by article next week with the aim being to pass it before parliament dissolved ahead of the elections. The new parliament will prepare regulations so that the bill can come into force six months later, he said.
Under the new system, people would have to buy their rubbish bags from the local authority.
It will have a separate pricing system for vulnerable groups of the population and include a fixed fee for the bags in addition to the variable charge.
Loukaides said the aim was to prevent local authorities from charging more than their cost for rubbish collection.
The cost of cleaning roads, pavements, and parks will be included in the fixed fee.
