Selangor to review plastic bag charge

SHAH ALAM: The state government is reviewing the policy of charging plastic bags with a view to raising the rate as well as the implementation of the no plastic day next year in Selangor.

This follows an increase in the usage of plastic bags even though the plastic bag charge was imposed since 2017.

State tourism, environment, green technology and Orang Asli affairs committee chairman Hee Loy Sian conceded that there was a problem with enforcement during the Covid-19 pandemic as his committee relaxed the policy to allow the usage of plastic bags when wrapping food.

"We will tighten the enforcement. This time, we may withdraw the premises licence from those who did not comply with the plastic bag charge,” he told the Selangor assembly meeting here.

He was replying to a supplementary question by Elizabeth Wong Keat Ping (PH-Bukit Lanjan) on the enforcement against using plastic bags, which was seen as increasing despite the campaign to charge for plastic bags.

According to him, as of June, the collection from plastic bags in Selangor amounted to RM4.8mil and it is expected to exceed RM9mil this year compared with RM8.5mil last year and RM6.6mil in 2020. - Bernama