Hazardous waste discussed

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