"In 2023, the mandatory garbage fee must cover 250 thousand heads of families," Head of the Medan City Environment Office Suryadi Panjaitan remarked here on Friday.
Panjaitan said that increasing the number of residents subject to the garbage fee will boost regional original revenue (PAD) in the waste retribution sector in the capital of North Sumatra.
The office head pointed out that in 2022, only 87 thousand heads of families compulsorily paid the garbage retribution fee, while the current number of families in Medan reached 500 thousand.
The Medan City Environment Office said that the city produced two thousand tons per day of organic and inorganic waste in 2021.
"(Hence), this garbage fee can be one of the regional original revenue sources, but this increase (of coverage) must also be accompanied by improved services," Panjaitan stated.
Earlier this week, Mayor of Medan Bobby Nasution urged the city's environment office to innovate in increasing the number of residents subject to the mandatory fee for throwing garbage.
"If manual payment is not effective, try using a digital system," he stated during a coordination meeting for the implementation of obligatory waste retribution fee in Medan, Wednesday (January 25).
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He said for residents to understand the garbage fee as a mandatory payment, the regional governmental apparatus organization (OPD) must help improve the quality of environmental hygiene.
"If the environment is clean, Insya Allah (God willing), the community would be happy to pay the fee every month," Nasution stated.
Hence, the mayor urged related parties to improve performance, innovate, and collaborate with local administrations in providing better services in waste retribution.
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Translator: M Said, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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