The Editor, Sir:

I read with amazement the following statement in a Gleaner article of April 18:

"The Finance Minister noted that after four years of discussion of how to implement the Environmental Levy, without consensus, he opted to mimic other Caribbean countries which levy an average charge of two per cent on imports, citing Barbados as example." ('JCC lashes enviro levy as 'disguised' customs fee - Forecasts shelf price increases').

Four years of discussion with whom, we ask? Certainly not with any of the environmental organisations that for the past four years have been lobbying the Government of Jamaica for improved waste management, and seeking dialogue with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Environment, in particular, on the matter of the environmental levy and other proposed waste management policies.

Your readers may recall my letter to The Gleaner published on June 28, 2004 ('Plastic garbage posing solid waste crisis') in which I expressed our organisation's grave concerns about the crisis of solid waste management in Jamaica, exacerbated by the importation and manufacture of non-biodegradable containers and packages, without any provision for their recovery, recycling or safe disposal. I mentioned Northern Jamaica Conservation Association's (NJCA) efforts to encourage waste separation and composting, but above all, our call for financial incentives, such as a mandatory deposit/refund system for recyclable plastic beverage bottles to encourage the reduction and proper disposal of solid waste.

The flood of responses to this letter confirmed that our concerns were shared by a wide cross-section of Jamaicans, especially those in rural communities where there is no garbage collection.

Since 2004, NJCA has channelled its solid waste lobbying efforts through the Jamaica Environmental Advocacy Network (JEAN), which has repeatedly but unsuccessfully sought dialogue with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Environment on this matter.

JEAN members gathered hundreds of signatures on a 2005 petition that called for economic policy instruments to be used within a proper regulatory framework, supported by public education campaigns and implemented in a spirit of collaboration between the Government, business interests and civil society. We told the ministers that, as partners in Jamaica's governance process, we stood willing to actively participate in any such efforts.

The 2005 petition received absolutely no response from the Minister of Finance or the Minister of Environment. Not even under the Access to Information Act was JEAN able to get the information requested about the Government's deliberations on the proposed enviro levy and other solid waste policies!

So let me use this medium to ask both the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Environment: Why have you consistently ignored and excluded the environmental groups that are in the forefront of citizens' efforts to bring about improved solid waste management in Jamaica? And when are you going to tackle the fundamental causes of Jamaica's escalating waste management crisis, instead of throwing money away on superficial, transient 'clean-up' programmes that make no real difference to Jamaica's environment?

I am, etc

WENDY A. LEE

NJCA@cwjamaica.com

Executive Director

Northern Jamaica Conservation Association

PO Box 212, Runaway Bay, St.Ann