The National Environment Management Authority-NEMA says the recent cabinet decision which imposed a total ban on all polythene bags cannot be enforced under the current legal regime.
The government recently decided to ban the manufacturing, importation, sell, use and distribution of polythene bags, as part of the effort to restore the environment.
While declaring the government decision, Beatrice Anywar, the state minister for environment, said the decision was to take immediate effect, ordering the concerned agencies to embark on implementation.
However, Arnold Waiswa Ayazika, NEMA’s acting Executive Director notes that the National Environment Act (2019) gives an exception for plastic carrier bags or plastic products made of polythene and propylene of above thirty microns.
He says until this is revised, the implementation of the ban is hard, since there is no legal backing for this decision.
Ayazika added that before implementation they expect an action plan from the government which among other things will consider the necessary amendments of the existing laws.
