BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12
Trend:
The Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources will work to fulfill President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instructions regarding a landfill fee, Trend reports with reference to minister Serikkali Brekeshev.
“The EPR operator was created upon the decree of the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 30, 2015, in accordance with article 387 of the Environmental Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” Brekeshev said at a meeting of the government. “Some 691.9 billion tenge ($1.6 million) was received as a result of a landfill fee from 2016 up till now.”
The minister stressed that the received funds are spent in strict accordance with the current legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
“In particular, the funds previously paid as a landfill fee in the amount of 338.9 billion tenge ($780.4 million) were returned to local automakers, 102 billion tenge ($234.9 million), and taxes worth 49.1 billion tenge ($113.07 million) were spent to address environmental issues,” Brekeshev added.
“To date, the balance of funds is in the second-tier banks and reach 220.6 billion tenge ($508.01 million),” the minister said.
The minister stressed that in connection with the President’s instructions, the ministry, together with public representatives, businessmen, and interested state agencies, will work out the following issues:
1. Creation of a separate state operator or on the basis of an industry development fund;
2. Revision of thelandfill fee coefficients;
3. Provision of buyers of local cars and agricultural machinery with vouchers through landfill fee with the participation of businessmen, the public representatives, interested state agencies.
Earlier, Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov instructed to voice specific mechanisms on landfill fee.
President Tokayev instructed the government during a meeting in the Mazhilis to take measures on the landfill fee.
