Nacaya explains garbage tipping fee issues

THE imposition of the tipping fee in the city’s garbage collection and disposal has been discussed and suspended in the previous years because the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs) of the 2018 ordinance is still subject to approval and consideration by the City Council.

This was manifested by Councilor Ian Mark Q. Nacaya during Monday’s regular session presided over by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy in reaction to the special report of Councilor John Michael L. Seno relative to the matter.

The 2018 ordinance considered by Nacaya as the subsequent and supposed to be the bearing ordinance to the 2014 Revenue Code which was effectively implemented in 2015, states that the city shall impose tipping fees from private haulers, companies, individuals to dispose solid wastes in the sanitary landfill to sufficiently support the cost of operation and maintenance of the facility.

The amount and procedure of the tipping fee shall be defined and provided for by IRR, however, payments should be consistent with the accounting system of the government, he said.

“In other words, we still have to approve the IRR because there is no figure and fact provided under the 2018 Ordinance. As part of the subsequent action of the Executive (Department), it should have gathered data, proposed to the committee and the committee shall propose to the City Council for Section 27 be considered to have modified Section 2d of the Revenue Code,” Nacaya further clarified.

Meanwhile, as to the question on where the income of the tipping fee shall go, the councilor said the same could not be answered by the chair of the committee on environment because the City Council is a policy-making body and not a day-to-day executive function/operations.

This may be answered during budget hearings where all members of the City’s Local Finance Committee (LFC) are present, the councilor pointed out.

As recommended, the matter was referred to the committee on environment chaired by Councilor Enrico D. Salcedo for appropriate action.