Only certified outlets may collect 20 sen fee for plastic bag

GEORGE TOWN: Only traders with the ‘No Free Plastic Bag’ participation certificate are allowed to charge customers 20 sen for a plastic bag under the new policy being enforced by the Penang Island City Council since Saturday.

Council Licensing and Public Health Standing Committee alternate chairman Ong Ah Teong said traders would need to display the certificate at their premises.

“If there’s no certificate being displayed and the trader is charging for a plastic bag, consumers can report to us.

“We do not want the policy to be abused,” he said in a press conference held at City Hall yesterday.

Ong said traders who have not registered with the council need to do so as soon as possible.

“The certificate is free of charge and needs to be renewed each year along with the trader’s licence.

“With the policy already in force, those who have not registered or failed to submit their collection to us, risk having their licence revoked under Section 107(2) of the Local Council Act by-laws,” he said, adding that the new policy covered the Seberang Prai Municipal Council as well.

Ong said traders have to submit the fees collected to the council between the first and 15th day of each month.

He encouraged traders to offer paper bags and boxes as an alternative to plastic bags.

“We’ll monitor traders who do not want to use plastic bags in their shops for six months.

“A ‘Plastic Free’ certificate will then be given to them to declare their outlet free of plastic bags,” he said.

Ong added that the new policy would continue despite a request by the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Operators Association for it to be postponed.

“This is not a new campaign. It was introduced in July, 2009 in stages, starting with the ruling that no free plastic bag would be given on Mondays.

“The ruling was extended to three days in a week in 2010 and daily in 2011 for certain businesses.

“The enforcement since Saturday is just the state government handing over the collection procedure to the council,” he said.

Ong said the premises that implement the ‘No Free Plastic Bag’ policy are hypermarkets, supermarkets, departmental stores, convenient stores, fast food restaurants, petrol stations, chain stores and pharmacies.

“The policy does not apply to petty hawkers, those at wet markets and stand alone businesses,” he said.

Meanwhile, state Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh declined to disclose the amount of money collected from the ‘No Free Plastic Bag’ policy.

“Every state assembly meeting we have to reply to this question,” he said, adding that the money would go to the state’s Agenda Ekonomi Saksama programme to help the needy.