Holiday in a litter free environment

THE Easter Holiday is around the corner. This period is usually characterised by religious and social gatherings as well as travelling as people will be going for holidays and to see their loved ones, among other reasons. During this hive of activity, there is need for everyone to spare a thought for the environment, in particular, waste management issues.

The best thing to do this year is to celebrate the holidays in a litter free environment — Zero Tolerance to Litter — Everyone’s Responsibility. In order to achieve a clean, safe and healthy environment, we need to understand that every one of us has a role to play.

The sustainable management of waste calls for an integrated approach, where everyone participates to make our nation clean and litter free.

Stakeholder participation therefore becomes key in resuscitating the aesthetic value of our once beautiful towns and cities.

This week, we shall, however, zero in on a few stakeholders as we look forward to the coming holiday; churches, motorists and public vehicle operators. What should the Church do? Church leaders should environmental issues into programmes and teachings.

The church can form departments or groups mainstream their main of individuals who assist in the coordination of waste management activities at the church. The responsible individuals should have adequate protective clothing.

When large gatherings churches should ensure they procure enough waste receptacles to be able to sustainably manage their waste.

When advertising, churches should shun the use of posters and flyers as they are a source of litter. They should, however, go electronic for instance social media, radio, bill boards and television.

Churches can adopt streets which they maintain and provide bins for. This should start from their places of worship and beyond. Remember “Charity begins at home”.

Procurement at the church should be of environmentally friendly products. Consider reusable other than single use products, for instance bottled drinks instead of cans. Private passenger vehicles Desist from throwing litter out of a moving vehicle.

Ensure that there is a litter bin in your vehicle so that passengers can dispose of their waste into the bin.

Once the litter bin is full, it should be emptied into designated points such as street/ home litter bins.

Do not leave waste food containers at lay-byes, instead, use the bins provided or alternatively use your vehicle litter bin.

Public vehicle operators

Ensure that you place a bin inside your bus/commuter omnibus so that passengers can safely dispose of their waste. Statutory Instrument 6 (Environmental Management Effluent and Solid Waste Regulations) of 2007 provides for the prosecution of those found without litter bins in public conveyance vehicle.

Educate your passengers before taking off on the use of the litter bin and discourage them from throwing litter out of the vehicle.

Desist from emptying your vehicle litter bins at undesignated sites, especially on the roadside.

All waste collected in buses and commuters should be placed properly in a bin. Passengers Do not throw litter out of a vehicle. It pollutes the environment, causes accidents and is also an offence.

Let us celebrate this holiday with a difference. As we travel during this period, let us not litter our roads.

To all churches that are gathering to worship, ensure that your premises and surroundings are clean before, during and after the events. The difference you make is real.

Send your feedback to; eep@ema.co.zw, like us on Facebook and twitter or visit our website www.ema.co.zw Alternatively, call us on: VOIP 08677006244and Toll-free 08080028; or use our WhatsApp 0779565707. We are ready to listen.

THE traveller’s rebate is a dutyfree allowance which is granted to bona fide travellers, subject to prescribed conditions. It is divided into two categories namely total rebate and partial rebate. Total Rebate is an allowance granted on all used personal effects.

Personal effects refer to articles pertaining to or carried upon the body such as used clothes and toilet requisites.

Partial Rebate is an allowance granted on goods imported by a traveller once in a calendar month and on their first entry into Zimbabwe.

This duty free allowance is $200 per person and is granted on goods imported by travellers for their personal use.

The list of goods that are excluded is as follows: goods which are incorrectly declared, goods which are imported for commercial purposes,

alcoholic beverages in excess of five litres per traveller of which two litres may be spirits, goods which are imported by any member of the crew of an aircraft, ship or vehicle arriving from outside Zimbabwe, stoves, refrigerators, cooking oil, laundry bar soap, blankets, beds, mattresses, flour, maize meal, sugar, meat, fish, eggs, powdered milk, yoghurt, cheese, corn puffs, jam, and honey This implies that importation of such goods will attract duty at the prescribed rates despite the fact that the value might be under the duty free allowance of $200.00.

Please note that the importation of certain commodities such as cooking oil, milk, blankets and washing preparations in whatever quantities require an import licence from Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Enterprise Development this licence should be produced at the time of importation.

Failure to produce the import licence would result in the goods being detained until such time that the import licence is availed.

You are hereby encouraged to correctly declare all the goods in your possession and to take note of the current changes to avoid any inconveniences.

Disclaimer This article was compiled by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority for information purposes only (Zimra). Zimra shall not accept responsibility for loss or damage arising from use of material in this article and no liability will attach to the authority. To contact Zimra: WhatsApp line: +263 782 729 862 Visit our website: www. zimra.co.zw Follow us on Twitter: @Zimra_11 Like us on Facebook: www. facebook.com/ZIMRA.11 Send us an e-mail: pr@zimra.co.zw/webmaster@ zimra.co.zw Call us (Head Office): 04 –758891/5; 790813; 790814; 781345; 751624; 752731 e-TIP : http://ecustoms. zimra.co.zw/etip/