The Tonga Waste Authority through the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change, and Communications (MEIDECC), has introduced a bill on behalf of the proposing a new waste levy system.
The initiative, announced by MEIDECC Minister Dr. Taniela Fusimalohi during a government press conference last Friday, aims to address public concerns over the fairness of the current flat-rate waste management fee.
Currently, residents pay a uniform monthly waste fee of $15, regardless of the amount of waste they generate. This has led to complaints about inequity, as households producing less waste are charged the same as those producing more. The proposed bill seeks to rectify this by implementing a levy on all recyclable materials imported into Tonga.
The new bill makes waste bill payment equitable between businesses who generate more waste compared with residential home wastes.
Stalini Naufahu of the Tonga Waste Authority explained to Tonga Broadcasting that, under the new system, waste fees would no longer be included in electricity bills. Instead, customers would pay waste fees at the point of purchasing recyclable materials from local retailers.
Naufahu noted that public consultations are underway to assess the impact of this proposed levy system, with initial community responses being supportive.
The goal of the reform is to establish a fair and consistent waste levy model across Tonga, ensuring that waste management costs are proportionate to the amount of waste generated by each entity.
