Customs office rebuked over waste

JAKARTA: State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar urged the excise and customs office on Wednesday to be honest and cautious in screening imported raw materials following two recent instances of toxic waste entering through Indonesian ports.

"We do not want this to happen again, especially with many developed countries believing they can just dump their toxic waste here," the minister said on the sidelines of a water and waste exhibition.

He also said Indonesia was still not accustomed to promoting environment sustainability.

Rachmat was commenting on the recent imports of toxic waste from Singapore and the United Kingdom. While the UK agreed to take the waste back, Singapore has refused to do so, claiming the waste was not hazardous.

Police are questioning executives from fertilizer firm PT Asia Pacific Eco Lestari, which imported the waste from Singapore. The government has also asked the Swiss-based Basel Convention, which rules on toxic waste movements, to intervene in the case and rule on Singapore's refusal to take back the waste. --JP