Tanzania begins nationwide manhunt for plastic bags dealers

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

The National Environmental Management Council (Nemc) yesterday launched a manhunt for traders selling plastic bags banned in 2019 for polluting the environment including water sources.

This comes after the illegal products began to reappear in various markets in the country, which, according to the agency, could bring the nation back to the status before prohibition of the plastic bags in June 2019 with the aim of reducing pollution on the environment.

On Friday, Nemc made an impromptu visit to the Kisutu Market where two people were found to have stockpiles of banned bags continuing to sell them to retailers who vend them to end-users thus ending up in the environment.

After the Kisutu Market, the Council convoy, accompanied by police, stormed the Machinga Complex where they impounded large cartons of banned plastic bags.

“We have started the work of arresting them for violating the law and the illegal products they sell. Today we have seized more than 100 cartons in five stores in two markets here in Dar es Salaam but this exercise will continue nationwide,” said Nemc’s Environmental Compliance and Enforcement manager, Redempta Samwel.

She explained that all those whose luggage were seized would have to go to the Council’s offices on Monday (tomorrow) for interrogation before they are taken to court.

“There are some packets or cartons that do not have the logo of the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and others show that they were imported but were fake despite the presence of non-living seals. They will be interrogated and help us find factories that produce banned bags in the country,” added Ms Samwel.

However, some of those whose products were seized said that they did not have the expertise to know which bags were legal and which illegal because the bags already had manufacturer’s trade marks.

The government banned manufacture and importation of plastic bags, therefore, anyone caught would be liable to a fine not less than Sh20 million to Sh1 billion – or serve a two-year sentence or both.

The law included the distributor, a person found guilty of this offence would be fined not less than Sh5 million not exceeding Sh50 million – or two-year sentence or both.

To a seller/dealer of the plastic bags, a person found guilty of this offence, liable to a fine of not less than Sh100, 000 to Sh500, 000- or 3-months sentence or both.

And to a last person who is a consumer, if found guilty of this offense, shall be liable to fine of not less than Sh30, 000- or 7-days sentence or both.

Management Prohibition of Plastic Carrier Bags Regulations. No 394 of 2019 sanctions duties to be fulfilled by consumer, manufacturer, transporter, importer and seller of plastic bags.

Source: The Citizen