News

Legal action to be taken against three businesses

September 15, 2018 7:06 pm

The Ministry of Environment is in the process of taking legal action against three businesses for improper waste disposal.

According to Permanent Secretary Joshua Wycliffe, these businesses have been discharging waste that’s harmful to the environment.

Wycliffe says in the last eight to ten months, a few cases have been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution for sanctioning of charges.

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" The waste and pollution control unit has forwarded at least three cases, in terms of prohibition notices there are eighteen for waste, these prohibition notices are for businesses and there are few which is in the pipeline that are being worked on to be handed over for prosecution."

He adds they will also launching an environmental hotline in the next two weeks so people can immediately call the toll free number and report any littering.

Wycliffe adds that their senior staff are also being rained to monitor compliance through drone technology so live pictures are taken and fed back as reports to the unit and inspectors.

The Ministry confirms that in the last eighteen months more than one thousand two-hundred $40 spot fines have been issued to Fijians for littering.