DKI Provincial Government Affirms DLH Not Looking For Profit From Waste Retribution

Illustration - Scavengers sorting waste at TPST Bantargebang, Bekasi, West Java. BETWEEN/Muhammad Zulfikar/am.

JAKARTA - Head of the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency, Asep Kuswanto, emphasized that his party was not looking for profit from the waste retribution policy.

Asep hopes that people can sort their waste from home and not be subject to waste retribution if later the regulation is enforced.

"It's not that the retribution is getting more and more happy. We are not making a profit. In fact, it means that people don't have awareness either (of eating garbage)," Asep said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, November 29.

Asep emphasized that public awareness regarding waste management is important to improve. The DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency (DLH) records the amount of waste in Jakarta every day brought to the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Shelter (TPST), Bekasi, West Java, as much as 7,200 to 7,700 tons.

Thus, the capacity at the Bantargebang TPST will automatically decrease because the area does not increase, but every day garbage continues to arrive from various regions.

Karenaitu, Asep mengatakan kondisi TPST Bantargebang kini tidak baik-baik saja. Ditambah lagi, jumlah rumah yang aktif memilah sampah di DKI Jakarta masih sangat rendah.

"About 34,000 houses (which are active in sorting waste) from 2.3 million houses," said Asep.

Asep hopes that people will be more active in sorting waste at home. Retribution exemption will be given to residents who actively sort waste from the source or those who are members of the waste bank.

"Not subject to levies. Just sort the trash yourself at least twice a month into the waste bank. The automatic system will be free of levies," said Asep.