The Solid Waste Act of 2002 has been modified to confer executive powers on the minister in charge of the environment. The new Solid Waste Amendment Act of 2021 improves upon the provisions of the Solid Waste Act of 2002 to put the management of the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation (DSWMC) under the control of the Ministry of Environment.
According to the Minister for Environment and Kalinago Upliftment, Cozier Frederick, the new act recently passed in parliament will empower the environment minister to efficiently oversee the functions of the DSWMC and also appoint a board of directors for the corporation. He noted that the new act has four separate clauses that tackle each aspect of environmental management and control.
“The short title of this Bill is set out in Clause 1 and Clause 2 is the interpretative clause,” he explained. “Clause 3 will amend the definition of the word Minister specifically for the Minister responsible for the Solid Waste Management. Clause 4 of the Bill would amend the constitution of the cooperation in schedule 3 of the Act to provide for greater flexibility in ensuring the appointment of members who possess the necessary competencies and skillsets to manage the cooperation.”
Frederick noted that the environment minister and management of DSWMC cannot effectively discharge their official duties without amending the existing Solid Waste Act of 2002. He said necessary legislative amendment will empower government and management executives to work seamlessly in reducing environmental waste and pollution in Dominica. He added that this will safeguard the health of the nation and protect the environment from human-related degradation.
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