Environmental NGOs flay FG’s suspension of taxation on single-use plastics

The Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ER/FoEN) and member organisations of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) have expressed concern over the recent suspension of green taxation on single-use plastics by the Federal Government, cautioning that it will make Nigeria a dumping ground for plastic waste products.

Their reaction follows the recent announcement by the Federal Government suspending the green taxation which imposes an excise tax on single-use plastics, including containers and bottles.

The suspension is said to be in line with the current administration’s commitment to create a business-friendly environment.

The tax was previously introduced as part of the government’s efforts to address the growing concern over the impact of plastic waste on the ecosystem.

The Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Chima Williams, in a statement shared with Nigerian Tribune, said that the new development will only bring to fruition the ominous prediction that plastic products in the ocean will surpass the number of fish in the water by 2040.

According to him, the Nigerian government is supposed to enact policies that will put an end to the invasion of plastic on oceans and water bodies and not promoting policies and laws that increase the production of more plastics.

“At a time like this when the world is set on improving the consciousness of the public on the need to end the use of plastic, it is unfortunate that our president is increasing the importance of plastic products. Nigeria at present is at present being ravaged by a plastic tsunami.

“Nigeria is supposed to be signing a law that promotes the phase-out of plastic. This suspension may seem that the government is not committed to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on the reduction of the impact of climate change from the waste sector.”

He called on the government to deliberately programme itself into a zero waste society where no waste is generated, or all wastes generated are seen as resources.

On his part, Dr Leslie Adogame, the Executive Director of Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV), member organisation of GAIA, said that an outright ban is the solution to the production of plastic waste in Nigeria.

He affirmed that only an outright ban and tax approach with a robust extended producer responsibility programme will help to arrest plastic pollution in Nigeria.

Benson Dotun Fasanya, Executive Director of Centre for Earth Works (CFEW), another member organisation of GAIA, added that the suspension of green tax on plastics is an open door to a plastic tsunami in Nigeria.

Also speaking on the issue, the ERA/ FoEN Project Officer of Waste Management, Melody Enyinnaya, pointed out that green taxations are eco/environmental tax foisted on activities that pollute the environment, as single-use plastics have become a major pollutants of the environment.

Enyinnaya said that the idea surrounding green taxes is to increase production costs for corporations, thereby bringing about higher prices on plastics, which will have the effect of discouraging consumers from purchasing them, and therefore, further reducing their pollution rate on the environment.

“The key implication here is that this suspension will impede the efforts in reducing single-use plastics pollution, especially for a country like Nigeria that does not have effective policies guiding single-use plastics production, consumption and disposal.

“The government should revisit the suspension of green taxation, while considering the environmental and health implications of such polices at heart.”

She further advised the government to look at developing legislative instruments like a withdrawal policy that will hold these corporations accountable for their product waste.