Cintri worker collecting garbage near Wat Botom Park in Phnom Penh. Hong Menea
The Phnom Penh municipal administration has reiterated that any citizen or business that has not applied for the identification (ID) code facilitating payment for waste collection services must register at the Phnom Penh Waste Management Authority (PPWMA) in the Phnom Penh municipal hall.
Doing so will allow them to receive waste management services once the new companies have been appointed.
On Wednesday, Phnom Penh Municipal Hall’s Waste Management and Environment managing director Nuon Samnavuth said: “Consumers who use waste collection services can use their ID code to pay for it.
“They can produce the ID to pay at any place where there is collaboration, including at Aceleda Bank Plc, TrueMoney and Wing Transfer Money agents.
“If they have problems relating to payment for rubbish collection services, please go to the sixth floor of the Phnom Penh municipal hall during working hours,” he said.
The decision to modernise waste collection services billing to an online platform was taken last year, replacing the previous method where the bill was a paper attachment added on to electricity bills.
“The new system is better as it means users can also choose to pay service fees for many months in advance. The service is offset by the payment system and shows the balance automatically every month.
“Users can also view any debts that are outstanding, in case they fail to pay it in time. These [debts] will incur fines in accordance with the law as stated by PPWMA,” Samnavuth said.
However, Phnom Penh governor Khuong Sreng said once again on Wednesday that from March onwards, citizens and private firms had to contact PPWMA during working hours to enter their ID codes for temporary service payments.
Once they have received the ID code, they need to pay for the rubbish services to PPWMA, he said.
“Citizens and private firms have rushed to contact PPWMA to pay rubbish collection fees for January, February and this month on time to avoid fines imposed by the Phnom Penh municipal administration,” Sreng said.
Last year, the government transferred the management of rubbish collection fees from waste collection firm Cintri to the Phnom Penh Municipal Hall.
Phnom Penh municipal administration Chief Huot Hay said on Wednesday he could not reveal statistics regarding the new services and referred questions to a Phnom Penh Municipal Hall spokesman.
“I cannot reveal any statistics as the Phnom Penh Municipal Hall has a spokesman. So, I cannot comment,” he said.
Neither Phnom Penh Municipal Hall spokesman Meth Meas Pheakdey nor Affiliated Network for Social Accountability executive director San Chey could be reached for comment on Wednesday.
