Court Thwarts Papua New Guinea Bid to Ban Plastic Bags
Posted on: Thursday, 8 September 2005, 06:00 CDT
Excerpt from report by Papua New Guinea newspaper The National website on 9 September
The national government has been barred from implementing its ban on plastic bags. Two companies who are challenging the government's policy to ban the manufacture of plastic bags locally have also warned that the government faces lawsuits worth millions of kina if it goes ahead with the ban and puts them out of business.
Deputy Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia yesterday restrained the State and the Department of Environment and Conservation from implementing the policy to ban the manufacture of biodegradable plastic shopping bags, which was to come into effect on 1 September 2005.
Sir Salamo issued the restraining order on an application by plastic shopping bag manufacturers Colorpak Ltd and W. H. Industries Ltd, companies who produce the plastic bags in the country.
In papers filed in court by their lawyers, the companies claim they would suffer a total loss of more than 71m kina if the ban was implemented, and warned that they would claim compensation from the government because the policy contravened investment laws and the constitution. [passage omitted]
In his statement filed in court, Colorpak director Sangeet Shah said if his company, which has a turnover of 11m kina, was forced to shut down, 90 national staff would lose their jobs, and his total loss would be more than 29m kina.
Mr Shah described the targeting of plastic shopping bags as a "simplistic" approach, and that the real problem were those who litter. He said the ban discriminates against manufacturers, but favours the importation of the same product from overseas. [passage omitted]
Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific
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User Comments (1)
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Posted by Pambe Mup on 01/07/2009, 00:00 I think the goverment should rethink its approach in attacking this problem of waste plastic bags that have posed a great enviromental threat to Papua New Guinea. I agree with Mr.Shaah and I beleive that by simply banning the production of plastic bags would not be in the best interest of PNG. Papua New Guinean will lose their jobs and the government will lose revenue that it could have attained from these companies in income tax. The real problem is people\'s attitudes towards their enviroment. People should be aware that they donot own the enviroment which includes the rivers, the plants and the air, they are only stewards entrusted by the creator to take care of what he has created. Therefore being answerable to the Father it is every individuals duty to take care of the enviroment which means in this context properly disposing of waste plastic bags. It would not be a bad idea if the government decided to encourage the use of paper bags as a substitute for plastic bags. it would not only provide a more enviroment friendly substitute for plastic bags but also provide jobs for the average Papua New Guinean. |
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