The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism continues to discourage the use of plastic bags until they are eliminated. 

This is because of their harmful impact on the environment.

In this regard, the ministry launched the 4th Sustainable Development Awards to discourage the use of plastic bags.

In 2019, the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprise made amendments to the Act, introducing an environmental levy of 50 cents on all types of plastic bags.

The Act aims to discourage the sale and use of plastic bags.

"We don't want these plastic bags, or even any other plastic bags in our environment, because they are very dangerous to human beings and the whole environment. Soon, we will phase them out completely. We've talked to the plastics industry. They know the phase-out plan, which is in the pipeline."

On the question of some retail shops asking for more than the gazetted 50 cents, Shifeta says it's up to the retail shops to further discourage the use of plastic bags by increasing the amount.

"If they ask a lot of people, it is an issue of sustainability to discourage people from throwing away plastic. That is why it is clean. People keep plastics; they don't throw them away to save money. They take old plastics."