24th April, 2018 The Official Opening of the Waste Authority Limited Vava’u Branch was held on Wednesday the 18th of April 2018 at Neiafu, Vava’u.
The Waste Authority Ltd is an initiative by the Government of Tonga through the enactment of the Waste Management Act 2005, and the implementation of the Tonga Solid Waste Management Project supported by the Government and the Australia Agency for International Development. The Act provides a legislative base for the development and management of the waste management sector.
Established in late 2006, Waste Authority Ltd is responsible for the entire municipal solid waste management system in Tongatapu including the Outer Islands supported by the government and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through the Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promoting Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in the Pacific Island Countries Phase II (J-PRISM II).
The establishment and arrangement of the Waste Authority Ltd, is in fact, the first in the Pacific Island Countries.
The Minister of the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), Hon. Poasi Pei in his remarks, said that the Ministry is proud to work in partnership with the Government of Japan – through JICA and the innovative J-PRISM Project to improve national waste and pollution management for present and future generations.
“Last week, I attended the 8th Regional 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Forum in Asia and the Pacific in Indore, India and I had the pleasure of meeting the Japanese State Minister of Environment, Hon. Ito Tadahiko. It was clear from our discussion, that Japan takes the lead in the promotion of 3R initiatives in the region.”
MEIDECC and JICA/J-PRISM have been actively promoting waste minimization such as return of recyclable materials for environmentally sound recycling and promoting the return of organic material back to the soil to minimize waste disposed at landfills.
“I am also pleased to announce that JICA and the JPRISM Project has agreed to assist Tonga with the development of a National Disaster Waste Management Strategy, given our recent experience with Cyclone Gita. If all goes to plan, Tonga will be the first in the Pacific to have such strategy in place.”
Hon. Poasi Tei also acknowledged with much appreciation our major partners, the Government of Japan, through JICA and the JPRISM Project and most importantly, the people of Vava’u.
The Hon. Minister concluded with a positive note that he believes that the presence of Waste Authority in Vava’u would eventually change the name “Vava’u Lahi” to “Vava’u Ma’alahi”.
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications.