It is a big struggle for Fiji to deal with waste – Kumar

Minister for Education and Local Government, Premila Kumar says it is a big struggle for a small island country like Fiji to deal with waste, we have had this struggle for many years and we should look around how many landfills we have.

While speaking at the Waste Recyclers Fiji Global Recycling Day celebration at the Vodafone Arena carpark, Kumar says we have more open dump sites than landfills and most of these sites are closer to the waters edge.

Kumar says in an effort to protect the environment, the government is encouraging recycling and waste management businesses with new tax incentives.

She says the main intention is to see more waste management companies are set up and more recycling companies built in Fiji.

The Minister further says the area around Naboro has been declared a tax free zone where companies can set up their own recycling companies which will be given income tax exemption for capital investment and import duty exemption on raw material and plant equipment and machines.

National Federation Party MP, Lenora Qereqeretabua who was also present during the celebration says in her village in Kadavu, it is the responsibility of the youth to separate rubbish and it is their responsibility in Suva to bring it to Suva and put it in the right places.

She says the village is fond of using diapers and she says she has told them very soon, if they dig up to farm, they will be digging up diapers.