MELAKA: The state government hopes to receive financial boost from the Federal Government for certain sectors, particularly for the solid waste management system in the Budget 2018.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron said he hoped for a substantial allocation to address rubbish disposal problem as the state’s landfill in Sungai Udang was reaching its capacity.
“Solid waste management is a top priority. With 1,200 tonnes of rubbish produced daily, we are concerned that there will no longer be enough space at the landfill to accommodate more waste,” he said after opening the 13th Asia Pacific Roundtable On Sustainable Consumption and Production (APRSCP) at Melaka International Trade Centre here today.
The three-day APRSCP, aimed at achieving green growth, involved 200 participants from 19 countries.
Idris proposed that the federal government introduce a mechanism to convert solid waste into energy as a long-term solution to reduce the amount of solid waste at landfills.
“In line with this programme (on sustainable consumption and production), the state government is expecting the federal government to allocate funds to manage waste efficiently.”
The Chief Minister also hoped for allocations in other sectors including tourism, education, agriculture and agro-based as well as the housing sector.
“Melaka is a vibrant state and its infrastructure development must be in tandem with population growth.
“We hope allocations will also be provided to address traffic congestion especially now that motorists are experiencing massive jams just to get into the city centre from the highway,” he said.
He said the state government expected that it would receive 10 per cent more in allocation compared that in this year’s budget.
Earlier in his speech, Idris said the level of awareness on reducing solid waste among people in Melaka was still low with an average of a person producing a kilogram of rubbish daily.
He said there were still those who were not receptive towards the state’s “No Plastic Bag Day” campaign.