Task Force for banning plastic bags / Kumbaro and Ibrahimaj warn of checks and fines

2023-05-23 12:41:00, Aktualitet CNA

Task Force for banning plastic bags / Kumbaro and Ibrahimaj warn of checks and

The Minister of Tourism and Environment, Mirela Kumbaro, and the Minister of Finance and Economy, Delina Ibrahimaj, at the meeting of the Task Force for the prohibition of placing on the market, production, importation of single-use plastic bags, warned of harsh punitive measures for violators of the law.

For the Minister of Tourism and Environment, Mirela Kumbaro, one year after the entry into force of the law that prohibits single-use plastic bags, in addition to awareness-raising work, control and punishment should also be intensified. The increase in the number of foreign visitors is another reason that, according to Minister Kumbaro, requires a relaunch of these measures, as it creates a risk of abuses and violations of the law.

"It is time today, one year back, to say that with the entry into force of the law, on June 1 of last year, we are still in a situation in which we must strengthen the controlling, coordinating and punitive measures, but also to made them popular. I believe that these controlling and punitive measures should be intensified at this very moment, also for another reason: We have a greatly increased flow of people moving around the territory. Only in the month of April we have 53% more foreign visitors than last April, which means that 2.8 million citizens are multiplied within the week in a progressive way ", said Kumbaro.

For her part, the Minister of Finance and Economy, Delina Ibrahimaj, requested the commitment of the institutions responsible for the well-defined work plans with the aim of its efficiency and the fulfillment of legal obligations.

"I believe that the time has come to have a second detailed plan. You have operated with a joint task force, but I think that the municipal police should make a control plan in order to have as much coverage as possible and then the moment a violation is identified, the ISHMT comes and imposes the penalty", said Ibrahimaj .

The Task Force for banning the production, import and trade of single-use plastic bags is led by the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Environment, Almira Xhembulla, where a number of institutions, such as the National Environment Agency, the State Inspectorate of Market Surveillance, the General Directorate of Customs, play a leading role. , the local self-government units through the municipal police, who with the legal changes can exercise controls in the markets./ CNA.al