By: Binta Jaiteh
At a press briefing organized by the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Tuesday, the Executive Director, Dr. Dawda Badjie, announced the confiscation of 7.96 tons of plastic bags across the country. During the recent enforcement of the 2015 ban on plastic bags, the NEA apprehended 336 individuals found in possession of the prohibited items.
Dr. Badjie reported that in the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and Banjul City Council (BCC) alone, 155 cases are set to be filed in court, while 182 cases were generated in the West Coast Region (WCR) and other areas during the enforcement.
According to him, there has been a ban on plastic bags in the country since 2015 this included its importation, use, and sale, particularly single-use plastic bags.
“Over time, we have seen a lot of proliferation of plastic in the country. This is not the first time we have been involved in the enforcement of the plastic ban order. It is just like people are using these plastics as drugs because they are getting a lot of resources from them. The implication of the plastic problem associated with health, the environment, and even other animals cannot be overemphasized. So, it is important for us to protect ourselves,” he stressed.
Mr. Badjie stated that plastic is a global issue adding that currently there are plans to come up with an international legally binding document to ban plastic. “And the negotiations are on. So we must look into this very seriously. We should know we are dealing with something the world is frowning at. As a country we should not be left behind, particularly since starting this process in 2015,” he lamented.
He urged, “People should understand the NEA is enforcing this to save the citizens from environmental hazards.”
“There was an enforcement of plastic ban order across the country and with that enforcement, a lot of achievements were made. Our focus is on the importers because when there is no market, there will be no buyer or seller,” said Dr. Badjie.
He therefore called for compliance and collective efforts to achieve this because all confiscated plastic bags were from the markets.
