The MoU was signed by acting mayor of Ambon, Bodewin Wattimena; Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands for Indonesia, Ardi Stoios-Braken; and a representative of private company PT Million Limbah Ambon here on Monday.
"Through this cooperation, we will change our waste management paradigm from the conventional collect-transport-dispose method into a more advanced and integrated management system," Wattimena informed.
The acting mayor said he is optimistic that the improvement in Ambon’s waste management system would set a new paradigm for developing waste management as a profitable business, as seen in advanced countries.
Meanwhile, deputy ambassador Stoios-Braken said that the program was conceived following earlier cooperation between the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure, with the involvement of several Dutch environment and waste management companies in the MVO Nederlands consortium.
"We welcome the decision of Ambon's acting mayor to prioritize waste management in their work program, and we always seek cooperation opportunities with the Indonesian government outside the waste management sector," she said.
The deputy ambassador expressed the hope that other cities in Indonesia would learn from Ambon to improve their waste management system.
The Dutch Embassy in Indonesia supports President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) determination to divert the national development focus away from Java Island, she said, adding that the embassy is also encouraging organizations and communities in the Netherlands to collaborate with regions in Indonesia.
"This project could not be implemented with only one party because it needs collaboration with all parties. This is consistent with the 77th anniversary of Indonesia's independence theme of ‘Recover Faster, Rise Stronger,’" Stoios-Braken said.
The waste management cooperation will be implemented this year with the assistance of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and funding from the P4G (Partnering for Green and the Global Goals), of which Indonesia and the Netherlands are members, she added.
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Translator: Penina F Mayaut, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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