Oman to impose cess on municipal waste

By Fahad Al Ghadani — MUSCAT: Jan. 9 - A cess on municipal waste is likely to be imposed in the Sultanate in the future, said a reliable source at Be’ah (Oman Environmental Services Holding Company). “We have conducted a study which shows the average cost of municipal waste per individual comes to RO 1.600 per month,” said Mohammed al Harthi from Be’ah. Be’ah has submitted its study to the government. “Only the government can decide on imposing the cess,” he said, adding that “imposing such fees does not come under Be’ah’s authority”. “We are trying to adapt an international principle called ‘Polluter Pay Principle (PPP), which means polluter has to pay,” says Al Harthi. At present, fee is being collected from hospitals that dispose medical waste. “We are establishing a department for dealing with dangerous waste and we might impose fees in the coming period,” he said. Dangerous waste is any waste arising from commercial, industrial, agricultural or other activities that are potentially hazardous to human health, plants, animals, air, soil or water. At present, the government bears the cost of handling municipal waste, which includes trash consisting of household items discarded by people every day. It includes food waste, market waste, yard and garden waste, packaging materials and other miscellaneous solid waste from residential premises. Waste collection includes gathering of solid waste and recyclable materials and its transport to a location where the waste is emptied. The location may be a materials processing facility, a transfer station or a landfill.