WAMCO bill to be merged with electricity bill

Work is underway to incorporate the payment to Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO) for household waste collection service to the monthly electricity bill due to the sheer number of outstanding payments to WAMCO, according to Environment Ministry.

Deputy Environment Minister Mohamed Ansar told Sun on Sunday that waste collection is categorized a utility service under the new law.

Waste collection will therefore be regulated by the Utility Regulatory Authority (URA), he said.

“We believe the greatest reach is for electricity meter or water meter. All places have electricity meters. So, WAMCO will have access to the reach if their bill is tied to STELCO’s bill,” he said.

Ansar said WAMCO has proposed the change to URA, and received the authority’s endorsement.

“The other thing this will achieve is, there are some 25,000 registered households. But only 70-80 percent pay the bill. And there are a lot of unregistered households. Everyone knows the waste collection timings. But they [unregistered households] put out the waste too,” he said.

WAMCO has repeatedly expressed concern over outstanding bills.