Hazardous waste discussed

JAKARTA: International cooperation and coordination among relevant government institutions are needed to prevent the smuggling of hazardous waste into the country, an official says.

"Cooperation is needed to protect the country from dangerous waste from foreign countries," Deputy Minister for Environmental Management Masnellyarti Hilman said at a national workshop on the "Pilot Project for the Monitoring and Control of the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste".

Masnellyarti said that certain parties, including regents, had tried to import hazardous waste from foreign countries but had been prevented from doing so by the central government.

She said the regents had tried to import used batteries, plastic, scrap metal and marine clay from Singapore, the Netherlands and Taiwan. She did not reveal the names of the regents.

Meanwhile, Customs and Excise Investigation Director Sofyan Permana admitted that lack of precise data on waste had prompted custom officers to stop monitoring hazardous waste.

"We should improve our cooperation with the Office of the State Minister of the Environment on data exchange," Sofyan said at the three-day workshop held at the Center for Science and Technology Research (Puspitek) in Serpong, Banten. -- JP