Plastic bags which are used for packing goods at supermarkets will be banned from the 1st of next month.
Consumer Council of Fiji has welcomed the ban in high-density plastic bags and the increase in the price of low-density polythene plastic bags from 20 cents to 50 cents which they say is encouraging.
Under the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service Standard Interpretation Guideline in relation to the 2019/2020 budget amendments applicable to the Environment and Climate Adaptation Levy Act 2015, the plastic bag levy does not apply to all plastic bags but those which contain polyethylene in whole or part, has a handle, is provided by the business for carrying or transportation of goods, and is not an integral part of a product’s packaging.
Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had already stated in the 2019-2020 Budget Address that plastic bags which will be banned are those with a thickness of less than 50 microns.
A micron is a unit of measurement with 1,000 microns in a millimetre.
The Minister also highlighted that as of the 1st of next month, duty on plastic bags with a thickness of more than 50 microns will increase to 50 cents.
As an alternative, Sayed-Khaiyum says the Government has been steadily promoting the usage of locally-produced, reusable bags.
The Government also aims to completely phase-out Styrofoam containers by 1st Jan 2021.
