Thailand mulls ban on e-waste imports

BANGKOK, June 20 (TNA) – The national reform steering committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon today discussed solutions to address the influx of electronic and plastic waste into the country. Defence Ministry spokesman Lt Gen Kongcheep Tantrawanich said the meeting agreed with three urgent measures. Permission of the factories, which violate law in illegal import of electronic waste and in their operational processes must be revoked. E-waste, falsely declared at customs must be sent back the origin country and e-waste disposed at illegal factories must be transported to licensed factories for proper management. Legal action will be taken against all wrongdoers. Moreover, Gen Prawit ordered the setting up of a committee, chaired by the minister of natural resources and environment. The committee will work with the Industry Ministry, the Pollution Department, the Customs Department and relevant agencies to consider revising law on e-waste ban. If the existing law cannot deal with the problem, Gen Prawit ordered the committee to consider and propose the use of Section 44 of the interim constitution to address the issues. The defence spokesman said that Thailand has 148 waste sorting factories. Out of these, 90 per cent operate with poor management. All seven e-waste factories are run by Chinese operators and only two factories adopt proper waste management processes in disposing e-waste. (TNA)