Nguyen Truong Thanh, a resident in the city’s Phu Nhuan District, said in October he was informed that garbage collection fees could double next year.

Monthly garbage collection fees could range between VND31,000 (US$1.3) and VND75,000 ($3.2) per household in District 1, depending on the distance between each household and the nearest garbage depot, an official from the District 1 Division of Mineral Resources and Environment has said.

Residents of the suburban district of Hoc Mon could pay VND41,000 per month for garbage collection, while Củ Chi residents would pay just VND20,000 per month, according to sources from the divisions of Mineral Resources and Environment in these districts.

Thanh said an increase in garbage collection fees had been approved, but the plans for garbage sorting at source must now be approved by garbage collectors.

Le Van Thanh, a resident of District 2, said along with the increase in collection fees, garbage collection units must be better managed by relevant agencies, and garbage should be collected at the same time every day, not two or three times per week.

The collection fees have been raised because of higher transportation costs.

According to figures from the city's Department of Mineral Resources and Environment, HCM City discharges 9,000 tonnes of household solid waste. The city pays over VND2 trillion (US$86.5 million) per year from the city’s State budget for the collection, transportation and treatment of solid waste.

Under a decision issued in 2008, the average garbage collection fees of VND15,000 to VND25,000 per month paid by each household are just enough for garbage collection, while the remaining fees for garbage transportation and treatment must be covered or paid by the State budget.

To reduce pressure on the State budget and make polluters pay for garbage collection and treatment, the city's People’s Committee last year issued a decision to charge VND364 per kg of waste collected by traditional methods and VND166 per kg collected by motorized methods.

The decision also defines fees for transport of household solid waste, from VND40 per kg in 2019; VND133.5 per kg in 2020; VND227 per kg in 2021, and VND247 per kg in 2022.

It also sets out the maximum price of VND475 per kg for treatment of household solid waste.

Thus, a household could pay a total of VND110,000 to VND150,000 per month for garbage collection, transportation and treatment.

The new garbage collection, transportation and treatment fees could be applied by 2022.

A resident of Binh Thanh District who declined to be named said a four-member household that discharges about 4kg of solid waste would pay garbage collection fees of 59,000 per month in 2020. The fees will increase to VND130,000 per month in 2022.

With the garbage collection and transportation fees under the city's recent decision, the State must pay a small part of the garbage collection, transportation and treatment in the 2019-21 period, according to Nguyen Thi Thanh My, the deputy director of the city's Department of Mineral Resources and Environment.

As garbage collection fees will increase periodically, HCM City residents will be scheduled by 2022 to pay all costs for garbage collection, transportation and treatment.

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VNS