Hanoi (VNA) - Cumbersome administrative procedures and irrational fees arehindering private sector participation in solid waste management, experts say.
NguyenDuc Thanh, Director of the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research(VEPR), said State agencies were still playing the key role in collecting andtreating solid waste, accounting for 60 percent of the sector’s revenue.
Hesaid that most of the contracts for collecting and treating solid waste wereeither for one year or three years. This was too short a duration for privatefirms, making them reluctant to invest in the sector. It was difficult torecoup investments in machinery and equipment in such a short time, Thanh said.
Furthermore,the waste collection fee was very low at between 0.1 and 0.2 percent of ahousehold’s average monthly income, he added.
Accordingto the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironment, the volume of municipal solid waste generated has risen rapidlyfrom 12.8 million tonnes in 2004 to 29 million tonnes last year.
Between2008 and 2015, urban areas accounted for 45 percent of the solid wastegenerated. Industrial production accounted for 17 percent and the rest camefrom rural areas.
Thetotal volume of solid waste generated from daily activities in urban areas hasbeen increasing by between 10 and 16 percent per year on average, it isestimated.
Thewaste is commonly dumped in landfills and open dumps.
Thanhsaid that under the current policy on capital allocation for solid wastemanagement, the volume of waste will not reduce; instead, it will increaserapidly.
Enterprisesare paid according to the volume of waste generated, he explained, meaning thatresidents are not responsible for the cost of solid waste they create.
AVEPR research team, who carried out an assessment of municipal solid wastemanagement in Vietnam, suggested that households be made responsible for thecost of solid waste management generated by them, including collecting,transporting and treating the waste.
Policieson waste collection fees in cities should be flexible and allowed to increase, theteam said, suggesting an initial increase to about 1 percent of average percapita income.
Theteam also suggested a seven-year-term for contracts signed by provinces andcities with private firms engaged in waste collection and transportation.
Local authorities should supervise the entirewaste collection and disposal process and facilitate investment in modern solidwaste treatment plants of high capacity, the team said./.
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Illustrative image (Source: trangvangvietnam.com) 
