30 March 2011
MUSCAT: The Oman Environmental Services Holding Company (OESHCO) is planning to privatise waste disposal in two areas -- Buraimi and Sharqyia regions -- as pilot initiatives, even as plans are afoot to enact a new sector law for waste management.
Azhar Haroun Al Kindi, chief executive of OESHCO, said a consultant will be appointed to conduct a feasibility study to engage private firms in collection, segregation, transportation and final disposal of solid waste in Burami and Sharqyia regions.
OESHCO will start working on the privatisation programme in these two areas as soon as the consultant comes out with their recommendations.
However, he noted that according to the master plan, private sector will be encouraged to participate in new projects. "We are not really rushing to take the collection, transportation and street clearing at the moment. It will remain with the government.
We are giving priority (for privatisation) to other areas that will attract investors. This will ensure that we have sustainable quality as far as waste management is concerned," he elaborated, on the sidelines of Oman Business & Investment Summit 2011.
The two-day investment summit was organised by Euroconvention Conferences in partnership with Al Nimr International Exhibition Organisers at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
Referring to the much-delayed sector law, Al Kindi said the new sector law for waste management would have been introduced by this month, if the Ministry of National Economy was not abolished.
"A lot of areas in the waste management sector law were related to the Ministry of National Economy, which has been abolished. Now, the sector law has to be revised. The ministry's abolition has added an extra piece of work," he said, adding: "We are hoping that within three to four months, it should be in place." Stating that a separate regulatory authority for waste management will be formed after enacting the law, he noted that it will be similar to the Public Authority for Electricity and Water.
The sector law will define various responsibilities for government, holding companies, general public and industry.
Al Kindi said that his company has identified several major projects for managing solid waste as per the best international practices.
These are establishment of 16 engineered landfills, 65 waste transfer stations and four solid waste treatment plants.
The proposed projects are part of an emergency initiative undertaken by the state-owned company to modernise management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid wastes coming from municipalities and other entities. The objective is to restructure solid waste management field to adopt the international best practices, with active public-private partnerships.
The country does not segregate solid waste and treat it before disposal, which is the best practice followed by several developed countries.
Talking about current waste management infrastructure, he noted that the country's waste currently ends up in some 350 landfills spread across the country, and only two are engineered.
Al Kindi said 1.62kg of waste is generated per person a day, which is equivalent to 4370 tonnes per day and 1.6 million per year in the whole country.
OESHCO is also aiming at reducing the solid waste generation so that there will be less waste to be managed. "We are giving a lot of emphasis on public awareness for reducing, reusing and recycling waste. As per our plan, the Sultanate of Oman will move towards a zero waste society."
MUSCAT: The Oman Environmental Services Holding Company (OESHCO) is planning to privatise waste disposal in two areas -- Buraimi and Sharqyia regions -- as pilot initiatives, even as plans are afoot to enact a new sector law for waste management.
Azhar Haroun Al Kindi, chief executive of OESHCO, said a consultant will be appointed to conduct a feasibility study to engage private firms in collection, segregation, transportation and final disposal of solid waste in Burami and Sharqyia regions.
OESHCO will start working on the privatisation programme in these two areas as soon as the consultant comes out with their recommendations.
However, he noted that according to the master plan, private sector will be encouraged to participate in new projects. "We are not really rushing to take the collection, transportation and street clearing at the moment. It will remain with the government.
We are giving priority (for privatisation) to other areas that will attract investors. This will ensure that we have sustainable quality as far as waste management is concerned," he elaborated, on the sidelines of Oman Business & Investment Summit 2011.
The two-day investment summit was organised by Euroconvention Conferences in partnership with Al Nimr International Exhibition Organisers at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
Referring to the much-delayed sector law, Al Kindi said the new sector law for waste management would have been introduced by this month, if the Ministry of National Economy was not abolished.
"A lot of areas in the waste management sector law were related to the Ministry of National Economy, which has been abolished. Now, the sector law has to be revised. The ministry's abolition has added an extra piece of work," he said, adding: "We are hoping that within three to four months, it should be in place." Stating that a separate regulatory authority for waste management will be formed after enacting the law, he noted that it will be similar to the Public Authority for Electricity and Water.
The sector law will define various responsibilities for government, holding companies, general public and industry.
Al Kindi said that his company has identified several major projects for managing solid waste as per the best international practices.
These are establishment of 16 engineered landfills, 65 waste transfer stations and four solid waste treatment plants.
The proposed projects are part of an emergency initiative undertaken by the state-owned company to modernise management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid wastes coming from municipalities and other entities. The objective is to restructure solid waste management field to adopt the international best practices, with active public-private partnerships.
The country does not segregate solid waste and treat it before disposal, which is the best practice followed by several developed countries.
Talking about current waste management infrastructure, he noted that the country's waste currently ends up in some 350 landfills spread across the country, and only two are engineered.
Al Kindi said 1.62kg of waste is generated per person a day, which is equivalent to 4370 tonnes per day and 1.6 million per year in the whole country.
OESHCO is also aiming at reducing the solid waste generation so that there will be less waste to be managed. "We are giving a lot of emphasis on public awareness for reducing, reusing and recycling waste. As per our plan, the Sultanate of Oman will move towards a zero waste society."
© Times of Oman 2011
