$50 million for
garbage export

To spend over six months

The Council of Ministers approved today a Treasury advance of $50 million to start the garbage export process.

“In the first stage, garbage near households and water sources will be removed,” said Nabil de Freij, State Minister for Administrative Reform. Trash removal is expected to start at the end of this month.

The company in charge of handling the export process, British Chinook Urban Mining, will remove at least 1,700 tons per day in order for it to be financially feasible. “Estimations are that Beirut and Mount Lebanon produces 3,500 tons per day,” he said.

The advance will be enough for the first six months, according to de Freij.

The ministerial committee will also open its doors to municipalities and unions of municipalities interested in receiving funds to implement waste management.

Chairman of the Council for Development and Reconstruction, Nabil Jisr, had earlier said that the Russian Government agreed to receive the trash.