HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, 4th April 2024 – A month into the full enforcement of the single use plastic ban regulation, enforcement agencies are seeing general compliance to the regulation.
However, there are still cases of minor breaches mainly due to confusion or being misled by others.
A case in point is when enforcement officers went up to the Corona market on Thursday 4th April 2024 and discovered that single use plastic shopping bags are still widely used by market vendors.
When queried about where they got the products from and why they are still using them, vendors said they bought and stored it at home in bulk before the lapse of the graced period. This is on the understanding that “Possession and Use” is not regulated.
However, they were told that they are right with “Possession and Use” but when they use it to package produce for their customers, that is when they are in breach of the section that regulates “Distribution” of a banned product.
With that simple explanation the vendors agreed and freely handed over the items to be confiscated by the police.
Elsewhere in Honiara a Bangladeshi national operating a grocery shop in town was briefly apprehended and brought into the Central Police station for questioning after enforcement officers received a call claiming that he is still selling banned products in his shop.
However, since the caller did not identify himself or provided sufficient information for him to be located the Bangladeshi was released after receiving stern warning to not sell the products again.
At the Solomon Ports area enforcement officers boarded several vessels docked at the wharf but found no evidence of any breaches. However, the team will keep a close look out because there have been reports of some breaches by certain passenger vessels recently.
Boarding and Monitoring of vessels is conducted with assistance from the Solomon Islands Maritime Authority
Enforcement agencies include Customs and Excise, HCC Law enforcers, Ministry of Health, HCC Health Division, ECD and RSIPF.
In general, officers have not encountered any serious incidences while on duty and people are very cooperative when they arrive.
The enforcement and monitoring exercise will extend to the provinces beginning next week.
Ends//