"We must believe that waste (issues) could be handled properly if we promote mutual assistance that binds us to work together in addressing waste issues," he noted in his keynote speech during the coordination meeting on the signing of the Waste Management Joint Commitment and Action Plan for the Citarum Drainage Basin in the 2022-2025 Period here, Friday.
Wetipo remarked that addressing waste issues in Indonesia, especially in the Citarum drainage basin, could be addressed effectively if regional leaders and the central authority set aside their sectoral ego and collaborate to find a solution to waste management issues.
He highlighted that mutual assistance helped the country face and handle the COVID-19 pandemic effectively.
"If we could address the COVID-19 pandemic through mutual assistance, under the president's guidance, then I believe that waste issues could be addressed with the same solution," Wetipo stated.
He expressed optimism that regional authorities would educate residents about the importance of waste management and discourage them from discarding their waste into rivers to prevent environmental damage that could harm lives.
The deputy minister had earlier witnessed the signing of the Waste Management Joint Commitment and Action Plan for the Citarum Drainage Basin in the 2022-2025 Period conducted by government officials.
The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, West Java Provincial authority, and district authorities are parties in the action plan.
The minister said that the action plan demonstrated the commitment of central and regional authorities to addressing waste issues in regions, especially in the Citarum drainage basin.
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Translator: Tri Meilani A, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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