TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-The Ministry of Environment and Forestry will introduce a plastic bag charge policy to be implemented in all retail outlets. The policy will be stipulated in a ministerial regulation to be published in June this year.
Hendrawati Mintarsih, the ministry's director general of garbage, waste and hazardous toxic substances management, said a try-out for this policy will be done on February 21.
"Nine out of 23 cities are ready for the trial," she said in Jakarta Tuesday, February 9.
According to Tuti, 23 cities have made a commitment to implement the policy, including Jakarta, Bandung, Bekasi, Depok, Bogor, Tangerang, Solo, Semarang, Surabaya, Denpasar, Palembang, Medan, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Makassar, Ambon, and Jayapura.
The nine cities that will take part in the policy trial are Jakarta, Makassar, Denpasar, Surabaya, Tangerang, Bandung, Bogor, Banda Aceh, and Balikpapan.
The Environment Ministry suggested to charge Rp500 per plastic bag. The government and the retail industry is still in discussion about how much the charge would be. But for the trial, the charge will be Rp200 per plastic bag.
Tuti said the proceeds from plastic bag charges will be used for environmental and public needs. The fund will be managed by retailers and community groups in collaboration with local governments.
The Environment Ministry estimated that the charge trial could reduce plastic waste by 20-30 percent. The Ministry said that in one year Indonesians use 10.95 million plastic bags, which is equal to 65.7 hectares or 60 times the size of a football field.
Tutum Rahanta, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Retailers Association (APRI), said the government cannot decide how retailers use the sales funds. Each retailer, he said, has their own CSR program that can be used to manage waste. "[The cost] to manage waste cannot be arbitrarily taken out from plastic bag sales," he said.
Responding on the charge per bag, Tutum said the association had suggested Rp200 a piece. Tutum said that the government should set a minimum price to prevent unhealthy competition as differing prices could affect the public's purchasing power.
"The government should maintain healthy competition so that no party is harmed," he said.
MAWARDAH NUR HANIFIYANI
