Exact Amount From Plastic Import Levy Unknown – Ministry

The Sanitation Ministry is yet to determine how much the import levy on plastic raw materials has accrued since its introduction in 2015.

The 10 percent levy which is being charged on some raw materials used in the production of plastic products, is to help reduce the waste generated by plastics. But since its inception, government is yet to set up a fund manager to supervise the disbursement of the money.

The Ministries of Sanitation and Finance have oversight responsibility of the levies which are deposited in the consolidated fund. Head of Sanitation Department at the Ministry of Sanitation, Anthony Mensah tells Starr Business, the ministry is yet to access the funds.

“My Minister has been to the Ministry of Finance to find out how much has accrued over the years so far and then what it has been used for or where it is. But he [Minister] has not been able to get the exact answer, so he is still pursuing that,” he said.

“Besides that I also know that there was supposed to be the creation of fund management committee to handle the disbursement of the fund and that has not been created,” he added.

Meanwhile, the acting CEO of the Environmental Protection Agency, John Pwamang said, the monies generated by the collection of this levy must be released in the face of growing volume of plastic waste.

Source: Starrfmonline