Directive No. 23/2005/CT-TTg on Strengthening Solid Waste Management in Urban Areas and Industrial Zones

DIRECTIVE
On Strengthening Solid Waste Management
in Urban Areas and Industrial Zones

__________________ 

After five years of implementing the "Strategy for Managing Solid Waste in Urban Areas and Industrial Zones in Vietnam until 2020" issued together with Decision No. 152/1999/QĐ-TTg dated July 10, 1999 of the Prime Minister, solid waste management in urban areas and industrial zones has gradually become systematic; the urban environment is gradually improving. The rate of solid waste collection nationwide is increasing; sanitary landfills have been and continue to be constructed using various sources of funding; hazardous medical and industrial waste in some cities has been collected and treated; new technologies for recycling solid waste have been researched and applied; some industrial zones and export processing zones have projects or plans for treating solid waste. As a result, the appearance of urban areas has improved significantly, creating a good foundation for achieving economic and social development goals towards industrialization and modernization.

However, the management of solid waste in urban areas and industrial zones in our country still faces many difficulties and weaknesses. The amount of solid waste collected only reaches about 70%, mainly concentrated in urban centers; in many cities and industrial zones, hazardous waste is not separately classified and is buried together with household waste; most cities and industrial zones do not yet have sanitary landfills operating according to procedures, thus affecting the lives of residents. Choosing landfill sites or treatment facilities in urban areas encounters many difficulties due to lack of support from local residents; research on solid waste treatment technology has not been prioritized and is incomplete; current solid waste treatment facilities are scattered and isolated within administrative boundaries, leading to inefficient investment and management, wastage of land; state management of solid waste at all levels is still weak and lacking.

The main reasons for these weaknesses are primarily due to limited understanding of the importance of environmental sanitation among some management agencies at all levels, businesses, and a portion of the population, who do not pay sufficient attention and lack practical measures to encourage development and improve the quality of solid waste collection and treatment services; comprehensive planning for managing solid waste has not been established at the national level and priority investment programs have not been developed; the system of regulatory legal documents is incomplete, lacking mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of solid waste collection, transportation, and treatment, as well as clear division of responsibilities among ministries, sectors, and local authorities; investment in solid waste management has not been prioritized; inspection, supervision, and punishment of violations are not strict enough.

The management of solid waste in urban areas and industrial zones in our country also faces significant challenges due to the increasing urban population, rising living standards, and rapid industrialization, which will generate more solid waste, with higher toxicity and a greater proportion of non-biodegradable inorganic materials, thereby polluting water and air; the cost of managing solid waste will increase, while investment in solid waste management remains low.

To enhance the effectiveness of state management, improve the quality of solid waste collection, transportation, and treatment services, and improve living environment quality to meet society's growing demands, and to create a solid foundation for successfully implementing the Strategy for Managing Solid Waste in Urban Areas and Industrial Zones in Vietnam until 2020, the Prime Minister issues the following directive:

1. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, provincial People's Committees under the Central Government must consider strengthening guidance to promote solid waste management in urban areas and industrial zones as a key task, striving to achieve the following objectives by 2010:

a) Complete the planning for managing solid waste in urban areas and industrial zones at the provincial, inter-provincial, or special region level, prioritizing the planning of solid waste landfills; construct recycling facilities for solid waste.

b) Improve the system of legal regulations, standards, and norms regarding solid waste. Develop mechanisms and policies for managing solid waste.

c) Encourage 100% of cities to implement socialized management and treatment of solid waste through procurement or bidding for services based on ensuring environmental safety and security.

d) Implement sorting of solid waste at household level for 100% of cities that have built recycling facilities for solid waste.

đ) Collect, transport, and treat 90% of total solid waste generated in urban areas and industrial zones, prioritizing reuse and recycling of waste, minimizing landfill volumes, especially in cities lacking land for landfill sites.

e) Treat 100% of hazardous medical waste and over 60% of hazardous industrial waste using appropriate technologies.

g) Completely address landfills causing severe environmental pollution according to Decision No. 64/2003/QĐ-TTg dated April 22, 2003 of the Prime Minister approving the plan to completely address serious environmental pollution sources.

2. Specific tasks

a) Ministry of Construction

- Submit to the Prime Minister the Master Plan for Managing Solid Waste in Urban Areas and Industrial Zones by the end of the fourth quarter of 2005.

- Organize the planning for managing solid waste and hazardous solid waste in inter-provincial regions and special regions.

- Lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology to review, supplement, and develop new standards and norms for solid waste treatment facilities.

- Develop a pilot investment program to apply waste treatment technologies that minimize landfilling, prioritizing domestic research technologies (meeting solid waste treatment requirements), encouraging economic sectors to participate in researching and developing recycling and reuse of waste.

- Complete the review of contents and evaluation of the implementation results of the Solid Waste Management Strategy, proposing issues for revision and supplementation to be submitted to the Prime Minister in the second quarter of 2006.

- Submit to the Prime Minister the Target Program to enhance the capacity and efficiency of businesses involved in solid waste management and operations in urban areas and industrial zones.

- Direct the research and implementation of some investment projects to build regional inter-provincial solid waste treatment facilities.

- Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and localities to develop plans, programs, and project lists by province groups to allocate budget funds, ODA funds, and mobilize other sources of capital according to priority order.

- Establish organizational models and appropriate mechanisms and policies to improve operational efficiency, service quality, and promote socialization in the collection, transportation, and treatment of solid waste.

- Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology to organize specialized scientific and technical councils to evaluate and certify technologies in the solid waste sector if they can be applied in practice.

b) The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

- Complete the review of contents and evaluation of the implementation results of the Hazardous Waste Management Regulation, proposing issues for revision and supplementation to be submitted to the Prime Minister in the second quarter of 2006.

- Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Science and Technology to review and develop a comprehensive system of regulatory legal documents and guidelines for applying environmental standards in the solid waste management sector.

- Take the lead in establishing regulations for cooperation between environmental inspection organizations and construction inspection bodies at all levels to strengthen inspection and supervision work, enhancing prevention and remediation of environmental pollution caused by waste, especially industrial waste.

c) The Ministry of Planning and Investment

- Balance and allocate sufficient funding to implement planning work, programs, and projects on solid waste and the thorough treatment of waste dumps causing serious pollution as per Decision No. 64/2003/QD-TTg dated April 22, 2003 of the Prime Minister.

- Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and localities to allocate funds for solid waste management in provinces according to approved programs and plans to avoid duplication and follow priority order.

- Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Construction to guide bidding mechanisms and ordering of public utility products and services, and establish model contracts for the provision of public utility products and services between competent state agencies and providers of public utility infrastructure services in urban areas.

d) The Ministry of Finance

- In the second quarter of 2006, take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to draft and submit to the Government for promulgation a Decree on fees for environmental protection related to solid waste.

- Take the lead and coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to review, study, and submit proposals to competent authorities for revising and perfecting financial mechanisms and policies, service prices for waste collection and treatment, etc., to encourage research and application of new technologies to reduce waste, treat, recycle, and reuse waste, and mechanical manufacturing of transport equipment and specialized treatment technologies in the solid waste sector.

- Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to develop support mechanisms and incentives for investment projects in the solid waste treatment, recycling, and reuse sector.

đ) The Ministry of Science and Technology

Review and issue a comprehensive system of standards for the solid waste sector.

e) The Ministry of Industry

- Organize statistics and evaluations of types of industrial waste, coordinate with the Ministry of Construction to implement planning for industrial solid waste management, particularly hazardous industrial waste.

- Submit to the Prime Minister in the fourth quarter of 2005 a proposal to limit and gradually reduce the use of harmful chemicals and packaging made from difficult-to-degrade materials in industry, replacing them with environmentally friendly raw materials and materials.

g) The Ministry of Health

- By the third quarter of 2006, complete the review of contents and evaluation of the implementation results of the Medical Solid Waste Management Regulation, proposing issues for revision and supplementation.

- Develop programs and plans to implement the overall planning for medical solid waste management after it has been issued by the Prime Minister.

h) The Ministry of Culture and Information

Direct propaganda, education, and dissemination of legal regulatory documents and pressing issues regarding environmental sanitation through mass media such as increasing broadcast time and articles in radio and television programs on the environment and in the press, raising public awareness and sense of responsibility regarding waste management.

i) People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities

- From now until 2006, provinces and centrally-administered cities must complete reviews, adjustments, or establishment of new plans for managing and treating solid waste in urban areas and industrial zones, taking into account provincial and inter-provincial factors.

- By the third quarter of 2005, complete the development of plans for centralized treatment of medical waste for healthcare facilities in urban areas and nearby regions to fully utilize incinerators already constructed.

- Develop and issue unit prices for services in localities based on budget estimates issued by the Ministry of Construction, while organizing competitive bidding or ordering mechanisms for waste collection, transportation, and treatment.

- Direct, supervise strictly the periodic declaration of volume and composition of solid waste from industrial establishments within the jurisdiction. In 2005, immediately implement effective measures to compel industrial establishments to thoroughly process generated solid waste through appropriate solutions. For hazardous industrial solid waste, contracts for processing must be signed with units having the necessary conditions and permission.

- Direct the implementation of household solid waste sorting work in urban areas that have established solid waste recycling facilities.

- Organize to consolidate, improve, and reform state-owned enterprises under management to enhance comprehensive capacity in providing public goods and services within the jurisdiction.

- Develop specific preferential policies to encourage other economic sectors to participate in investment in solid waste management in local areas.

- Organize propaganda, mobilization, information dissemination, and promotion in radio programs of communes, towns, and during women's association, youth union, and neighborhood organization meetings to regularly raise community awareness, while strengthening inspection, supervision, and monitoring of units involved in local solid waste management and citizens' compliance, with strict handling measures for violations of environmental protection regulations.

3. Organization of Implementation

The Ministers of Ministries, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government agencies, and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for implementing this Directive.

The Ministry of Construction is responsible for inspecting, urging, monitoring, and periodically reporting to the Prime Minister on the implementation of this Directive.