SHAH ALAM: Soon, hypermarkets and supermarkets in the state will not be allowed to keep the 20 sen that they charge per plastic bag.
Instead, state Environment, Green Technology and Consumer Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian said the state government, through the local councils, would channel it into a special fund.
“They are supposed to use the money to conduct programmes centred around corporate social responsibility, tree planting or producing recyclable shopping bags to be given out to the consumers,” he told the New Straits Times.
“But, only a few major ones are doing that.”
Hee added that local councils would keep track of the sales of plastic bags through a code that was keyed in at the payment counters.
“We will collect the profits instead of the outlets as we do not know what happens or where the money goes to.
“The state government will collect through the local councils to be channeled into the fund.
“The money will then be distributed back to the local councils where they are to use it to carry out corporate social responsibility programmes and those that will benefit the people.
“We are still studying the mechanism of this new format.
“We are in the midst of drafting the working papers and it will subsequently be brought to the state executive councillor’s meeting for discussion.
“Hopefully, it can be implemented this year,” he added.
Hee expressed confidence that hypermarket and supermarket operators would be cooperative when the new policy came into force.
“We will hold dialogues and engage them on the format.
“I am sure they will work with us as it is a better mechanism.
“Consumers will not question where the 20 sen charge goes to,” he added.
Businesses in the state have been charging 20 sen for plastic bags since 2017.