PHILIPSBURG:--- “A year and a half after the date established by the parliament for the plastic bag ban to go into effect, I am still waiting to see concrete steps taken by the government to put this ban into effect. One can recall that the initial law passed unanimously by parliament established that the law banning single-use plastic bags, plastic straws, and styrofoam containers should have gone into effect on July 1, 2021.”
It is only after this date and constant queries that the government admitted not having ratified the law, due to the government’s inability to put it into effect.
MP Wescot explained that at the request of the government, she, as the initiator of the ban on the items mentioned, amended the law to give government the opportunity to put it into effect on a date feasible for the government.
“The enactment, therefore, is with the government. Numerous questions from me on this topic have been left unanswered”.
“When amending the law to put the enactment date in hands of the government, I asked about the implementation plan the government had to put the ban in place.”
It was quite frustrating for me to visit a recent scholastic science fair and see the many project ideas from our young people regarding recycling, elimination, etc. of plastic and other waste, and I not having an inkling of where things stand with our “plastic ban”.
Again this week I asked the Prime Minister to provide me with a concrete overview of the implementation status of this law.
In fact, I asked both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice regarding this as the ban is part of the Police Ordinance.
The Prime Minister has a responsibility for the execution as well, as this ties into the project “Plastic Free by 2023”, announced by the government.
“When I criticize the country package’s content and measures, it is because items such as the protection of our environment are nowhere to be found. Enforcement in every area of St. Maarten is a challenge. And so it also appears to be in enforcing the “plastic ban”.
Reason why our priorities must be clearly formulated and attended to.”
“My request therefore, a repeat of what I asked in 2022, is to be provided with an update on the implementation of the ban on “single-use plastic bags, etc.” and on the project “St. Maarten Plastic-free by 2023.”
