City Hall To Lower Garbage Collection Fee

[george]

City hall to lower garbage collection fee

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin has agreed to cut the household garbage collection fee by half, from 40 to 20 baht a month.

The fee reduction would take immediate effect once approved by the City Council, which is to meet today.

Mr Apirak defended the proposed fee reduction, saying it would not affect the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's income. On the contrary, he believed it would generate more income since more city residents would be willing to pay. But the fee would remain unchanged for big businesses like hotels, industrial plants, and department stores.

The governor said a good number of Bangkokians had complained that the current fee, which was raised early last year from four baht to 40 baht by former governor Samak Sundaravej, was too high and refused to pay.

``Some, particularly those renting a single room, said the 40-baht fee was unfair for they generated a smaller amount of garbage compared to those living in a detached house,'' he said.

Mr Apirak said the BMA could collect only 40% of the total amount, or 400 million baht per year, while the city's waste disposal costs amounted to 3 billion baht per year. He said the BMA's waste reduction campaign proves successful in reducing the garbage volume by 10%, the BMA could save up to 300 million baht per year,'' he said.

The city also plans to cut vendors' trading permit fee from 500 baht a year to 10 baht, and street cleaning fees collected from vendors, from 150 baht a sq-m per month to 100 baht.

Mr Apirak, a Democrat, denied that the proposed fee cutback was aimed at boosting the party's popularity as the general election was drawing near.

--Bangkok Post 2005-01-05