On behalf of the delegation of the Japanese Ministry of Environment, Deputy Minister Takaaki KATSUMATA expressed his pleasure and thanked Deputy Minister Le Quang Hung and colleagues of the Ministry of Construction for taking the time to receive the delegation.
Deputy Minister Takaaki KATSUMATA said that in the development process of Japan, specifically in the field of infrastructure, Japan has achieved many important achievements in collecting and treating waste and turning waste into energy, positively contributing to environmental protection.
The Japanese Ministry of Environment wants and recommends that two ministries will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to share Japanese knowledge and technology with Vietnam in urban technical infrastructure, especially in the transfer waste into energy.
On behalf of the leadership of the Ministry of Construction to welcome Deputy Minister Takaaki KATSUMATA and the delegation to visit and work with the Ministry of Construction, Deputy Minister Le Quang Hung said that: “The MoC is State management agency to response in the field of domestic and urban solid waste treatment. Currently, the total amount of urban solid waste in Vietnam is about 38,000 tons, rural solid waste is about 32,000 tons/day; The rate of collection of municipal solid waste is about 80-85%, rural areas are about 50% and most of them are treated by burial technology; the treatment of solid wastes by burning method for electricity generation accounts for a very small percentage”.
According to Deputy Minister Le Quang Hung, since 2000, the Government of Vietnam has issued a number of mechanisms and policies to promote the collection and treatment of solid waste by burning methods to generate electricity, and look forward to the year 2020, the rate of solid waste collected and treated for electricity generation is 30%, by 2030 it will be 70% and most of solid waste will be burned to generate electricity by 2050.
Deputy Minister Le Quang Hung also said that, in fact, through a number of pilot projects, the treatment of solid waste by burning method for electricity generation in Vietnam is facing some difficulties in attracting investors because the price of solid waste disposal services in Vietnam is low, and the waste is not classified at source. However, the policy of the Government of Vietnam is determined to implement the roadmap of treating solid waste to generate electricity; so the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam welcomed the proposal of Japanese Ministry of Environment in signing the MoU between both sides to help Vietnam in implementing the roadmap.
At the working session, Deputy Minister Le Quang Hung and Deputy Minister Takaaki KATSUMATA agreed to assign the focal units of two sides to promote exchange, discuss and develop a draft Memorandum of Cooperation and specific action programs for leaders of both sides to consider and approve.
Written by: Minh Tuan
Translated by: Mai anh