2024-04-28 10:49:21
Even the opposition does not mince words of politeness and says that the system of tax benefits invented by the rulers is just “hanging noodles” on people’s ears.
It is covered by the fact that the tax has been increased in the entire Kaunas region
The representatives of the Kaunas Regional Waste Management Center (Kaunas RATC), who have been intensively talking with all the municipalities of the Kaunas region for a long time about the increase in fees for municipal waste management, finally achieved their goal – they convinced that the fee for receiving and processing mixed municipal waste must increase.
Since the first of April, this fee has almost doubled – from 62.81 euros to 106.64 euros per 1 ton.
The fee for receiving and processing other non-asbestos waste will also increase, although not so significantly – from 100 to 109 euros, and the fee for receiving and processing other waste containing asbestos – from 110 to 119 euros per ton.
Also, the fee for environmental pollution for waste disposed of in landfills has already increased – from 15 euros to 50 euros per ton.
After assessing the increase in wages and other increased costs, the politicians of Kėdainiai came to the conclusion that the tax for waste collection should be drastically increased for a large part of the region’s population and companies.
It is true that since the tax for residents and companies has been increasing only since the first of April, in the first three months of this year, the municipality’s debt to the Kaunas RATC may already be about 600 thousand. euros for waste collection according to the increased rates, so this amount of money will be covered from the municipal budget – with taxpayers’ money.
The municipality does not trust the residents?
It is estimated that without raising the waste collection and management fee for residents, the actual costs of waste management would be almost one million euros higher than what the residents of the region would pay.
The municipality cannot cover such a difference, therefore, without a doubt, residents will have to pay for the increased cost of waste management.
However, it turned out that the newly prepared procedure is somehow the most unfavorable for the average family with two children, and this caused a lot of discussions and questions among the members of the district council.
According to the new procedure, both flats and houses have the same fixed part of the local tax per object. The variable part is differentiated by residential area, as the frequency of container emptying differs between urban and rural areas.
In apartments for which the variable part of the local tax is determined according to the number of inhabitants, it is possible to adjust and pay the variable part of the local tax based on the actual (and not the declared place of residence) number of inhabitants.
And residents who live in individual houses cannot for some reason choose a smaller mixed municipal waste container – the rules stipulate that only houses with 1 or 2 people can have a container with a capacity of 120 liters. So if the family has a child, they will have to use twice the container, and it doesn’t matter at all that you only fill half of it each time or you sort it honestly.
Meanwhile, a business that sorts municipal waste and manages industrial and commercial waste separately will have the opportunity to manage the amount of unsorted waste generated and pay less if it submits smaller amounts of mixed municipal waste to the municipal waste management system.
“Residents who want to sort will pay the most. The increased price does not really increase the motivation to sort waste.
In addition, it hurts to hear that the people of Kedaine are not trusted”, said Indrė Fiodorova, pointing out that for some reason businesses have more flexible options to arrange suitable waste transportation conditions for them than individual residents.
She was seconded by Lina Šlamienė.
“Businesses will be able to reduce municipal waste containers and sizes, but a significant part of the population cannot do this because they do not trust them,” she summarized.
Prices will rise for single people and those living further away
The paradox is that the extremely high tax increase is expected for none other than families with children. Even more strange is that the tax will be lower for those who live in apartments than for those who live in detached houses. Even more strange is the fact that residents are also discriminated against based on their place of residence. For those who live in the city, the tax may decrease in some cases, but for those who live further away, it will increase.
“The order raises more questions than answers. How did it happen that 70 percent after an increase in the gate tax, an increase in salaries and other expenses of Kaunas RATC, the tax for some residents and businesses of Kėdainiai increases sharply, while for others it decreases significantly? The principles of determining benefits are questionable. It does not encourage responsible sorting, nor is it socially correct,” former vice mayor Paulius Aukštikalnis said, not wanting to agree to such a proposal from the municipality.
The calculations provided by the municipality show that if only one person lives in the apartment, the fee for waste removal will increase from 46 to 59 percent. If two people live in the apartment, it will increase from 1 percent. In the city of Kėdainiai, Vilainiai village, Paobelio village, Janušava village, Pelėdnagii village. up to 54 percent to persons living in other settlements.
In the city of Kėdainiai, Vilainiai village, Paobelio village, Janušava village, Pelėdnagii village. for families with 3 or more people living in apartments, the tax will decrease, and for those living in other settlements, it will increase, unless you are a family with 5 children. But if you are a family with one or two children, and you live in, let’s say, Academy, accept paying for waste transportation much more expensive than before.
Well, the tax will increase the most for those who live in individual houses. Although the people who live here usually compost and sort waste responsibly (which is easier to do in a house, right here, in the yard, with all the necessary containers than in an apartment), the tax will increase the most for them.
Not to mention, as mentioned earlier, if a family has at least one child, whether they like it or not, they will have to use and pay for a bulky 240 l mixed waste container, and nobody cares if you don’t fill it to the top – nobody will let you take a smaller one and pay less.
In the city of Kėdainiai, Vilainiai village, Paobelio village, Janušava village, Pelėdnagii village. A family with one child living in a detached house will be able to “enjoy” the highest increase of 54%. higher waste collection fee. The price will rise significantly for those who live alone. Only families with 3, 4 or 5 children can expect a lower tax.
Single persons, couples or families with children living in other settlements also receive cosmic gifts, almost 60 percent. growing waste collection fee.
“The most demotivated are families of 3-5 people, for whom waste management will be the most expensive and, in contrast to businesses, they will not be able to reduce the number of containers because they are not trusted”, conservative Kęstas Šlama also criticized the municipality’s proposal.
“We are a family of 4, sorting. A smaller container would even physically require more sorting.
And although we sort and the available container is half empty, there is not even an opportunity to take a smaller container”, P. Aukštikalnis described the real situation, calling to disapprove of such a plan by the municipal clerks, as the Education and Culture Committee did.
However, the ruling Social Democrats and Liberals, having said that if necessary, the issue can be returned to later, voted so that the tax increase from April 1 is far from being a failed April Fool’s joke, but simply an incredible reality that has affected many citizens, which has doubled fee for municipal waste collection.
Mr. Aukštikalnis: “Isn’t this hanging pasta on the ears?”
“The tandem of Social Democrats and Liberals (I still can’t understand this ideological paradox) while the district budget is increasing to record highs (about 97 million euros and there is still a large possibility of borrowing – such a large budget has never been predicted), has SEVERELY increased the fee for waste for all residents of Kėdainiai and companies in the Kėdainiai district handling.
Although we, the entire opposition, were very hesitant about this draft decision and suggested not to hurry, not to impose an increase in the waste management fee on the residents, but where you, our votes were not enough, the new procedure was adopted.
What will happen now from April 1st?
Many friends of my age live in an apartment or house in pairs with one, two or three children, that is, the number of members of my close circle in one apartment or house varies from 1 to 4, very rarely up to 5.
According to the new description of the procedure, from April 1, the fee is reduced for families whose “household” consists of 6 or 7 people.
Do you know many people who live like this? Isn’t this hanging noodles on your ears? By the way, families with many children usually receive benefits.
And for you, if you have not cooperated with your neighbors, it will be expensive to live in one apartment.
I give an example.
If you live in a two-bedroom apartment in the city, it will cost you 1 percent, and if you live in an apartment in the Academy campus, it will cost you 54 percent.
If you live in a two-bedroom house in the city, it will be 37 percent more expensive, and if you live in a house in the Academy campus, it will be 37 percent more expensive.
And against the background of all this toll increase, the city has been transporting waste 2 times less often for some time now.
It is true that the residents have already appealed to the mayor for twice less waste removal, but it seems that they were mocked: a letter was written saying that they are to blame for the increase in the prices of mixed waste and they didn’t even bother to take a picture of the containers of the signature collectors so that they wouldn’t even want to apply next time.
How will this new arrangement encourage sorting when there is currently no choice of container size or lift times?
This procedure is a little more favorable for companies, it is not surprising, after all, we all know who in the ruling majority has a large business, and who has a large farm”, said P. Aukštikalnis.
2024-04-28 10:49:21