The\nUganda Plastics Manufacturers and Recyclers Association has blamed Karamoja\nAffairs Minister, John Byabagambi, for promoting the total ban of plastics or\nkaveera, a move they said is intended to drive them out of business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr\nAllan Ssenyondwa, the group\u2019s Manager for Policy and Advocacy, said they are\nabiding fully by the National Environment Act, 2018, but expressed shock on\nattempts to amend the law and altogether ban kaveera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\nare law abiding and have been working towards encouraging every plastic\nmanufacturer to set up a recycling plant at the factory as required by the new\nlaw, but we were shocked when the Minister warned us to the effect that our\nfactories will soon be closed down as a way of implementing a total ban on\nkaveera,\u201d Ssenyondwa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nCommittee on Natural Resources, chaired by Dr Keefa Kiwanuka (NRM, Kiboga\nEast), is entertaining a petition from the group, who are angry that there are\ninterests coalescing behind the Minister to deliberately disadvantage them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister\nByabagambi termed the accusations baseless, and said he is innocently implementing\na directive from President Yoweri Museveni, who he said instructed him to head\na Cabinet sub committee to consider a complete ban on kaveera in Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nsub committee is said to comprise Eng Byabagambi as Chair, Agriculture State\nMinister, Christopher Kibazanga, and a one Dr. Mwanje, a scientist from the\nMinistry of Defense and Veteran Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter\nreceiving the letter [from President Museveni], I called for a meeting well\naware of the cry of manufacturers , we decided to make consultations which is a\nprocess followed whenever forming a Cabinet paper so that Cabinet can discuss\nbecause it is Cabinet to take a decision,\u201d Byabagambi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Byabagambi\nsaid in the event that a decision has to be made, it will be Cabinet to do so,\nnot him, and that consultations have just began and that even the views of the\nmanufacturers will be catered for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\nhaven\u2019t consulted all stakeholders and I feel it is proper that we consult\nwidely and we inform Cabinet from an informed point of view, so that Cabinet\ntakes appropriate decision whether to ban or not to ban,\u201d Byabagambi noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MPs\nwere shocked to learn that government was considering the idea of a complete\nban, which they said shouldn\u2019t be coming in the wake of the newly passed\nlegislation that only addressed the acceptable microns, a standard of\nspecification of environmentally friendly kaveeras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Environment\nand climate change activists are calling for a complete ban, a move that has\nsuffered resistance from various quarters, mainly the manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nCommittee will have to report back to Parliament with recommendations on how\nthe petition should be disposed of.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Uganda Plastics Manufacturers and Recyclers Association has blamed Karamoja Affairs Minister, John Byabagambi, for promoting the total ban of plastics or kaveera, a move they said is intended to drive them out of business. Mr Allan Ssenyondwa, the group\u2019s Manager for Policy and Advocacy, said they are abiding fully by the National Environment Act, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10447,"featured_media":11748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[31],"class_list":["post-11747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured"],"yoast_head":"\n