The National Waste Management Policy and Action Plan is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The timeframe of the policy is 5 years between 2011 and 2016. The main purpose of this Policy is to minimize waste generation and waste going to landfill, while maximizing the recovery of resources and improving the management of residual waste using appropriate environmentally sound technologies.
The draft laws and regulations will be enacted to support solid waste management activities with practical, effective, enforceable legislation. The policy framework will be strengthened in terms of waste management with a special emphasis on medical waste and waste arose from disasters. Waste management and pollution control will be mainstreamed into the medium term strategic framework. Institutional capacity will be strengthened at the municipal, provincial, and national levels for the enforcement of waste management laws and the effective management of solid waste management systems. Awareness will be raised on waste minimization techniques by working together with key stakeholders. Investment opportunities from bilateral, multilateral, and international agencies will be identified for waste management and pollution control to make solid waste management systems and programmes financially self-sustaining. Systems that encourage waste minimization, reuse and recycling of key waste items will be developed to reduce the amount of waste generated and land filled. Incentives and mechanisms will be implemented to control and regulate the importation and production of items which become problematic wastes, such as plastic bags. Environmentally sound facilities will be developed for disposal of solid waste and medical waste, septic sludge and residues that cannot be avoided, reused, recycled or composted. Waste collection systems will be upgraded for effective and efficient as well as self-sustaining management. An environmental monitoring program will be developed for closed dumpsites, existing dumpsites and landfills, and other contaminated sites. A National Waste Management Coordinating Committee will be established to facilitate cooperation among agencies with respect to the management of the different types of wastes in order to better coordinate national waste management activities and ensure that the National Waste Management Strategy is implemented and periodically reviewed and updated.
The Environment Department of the Government shall be responsible for the monitoring of the implementation of this Policy.