The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has suspended its plans to impound vehicles with no dustbins.
In a statement released on Friday, NEMA Executive Director, Barirega Akankwasah, said that other operations will commence as planned (April 1) across the country but only target vehicles littering garbage not those without dustbins.
On February 8 2023, NEMA announced plans to enforce provisions of the National Environment Act, 2019 and various regulations about various offences including developments without Environment and Social Impact Assessment, Failure to conduct Environment Audits, breach of conditions of NEMA certificates, littering, noise, encroachment of wetlands, riverbanks, lakeshores, pollution, plastics below 30 microns among others.
However, in a meeting held on Friday, March 31 2023 between NEMA and the Public transporters federation led by their chairperson Rashid Ssekindi, the Public transporters requested for additional time to install trash bins/ bags in their vehicles.
“We have accordingly given them a grace period of 30 days to install trash bins/bags to prevent littering from public vehicles. The enforcement teams are hereby notified accordingly that nobody should to arrested or fined for having no trash bin/bag for 30 days starting 1st April 2023. However, during this grace period, public or private vehicles found littering will be impounded and owners prosecuted by the law.” NEMA said in a statement.