Dili residents are failing to obey the government’s ban on dumping rubbish outside the hours of 4.30am and 7am due to a lack of awareness of the decree.
Member of Parliament Ilda Maria da Concencao said rubbish scattered across Dili had been a major concern for many years but still no solution had been found.
MP da Concencao said it was the duty of village heads to ensure residents in their areas were aware of the decree.
However she urged the government to review the hours in which dumping rubbish was permitted as Dili could be dangerous in the pre-dawn hours.
“We all know that the security situation is not safe,” she said.
“Not long ago we heard of a young man being killed; we hear of kidnappings.
“This is something that should be studied closely.”
Kaikoli chief Hipolito Marques Sarmento said his suco had formed a team which cleaned up the area and informed residents about the dumping schedule.
“We have made announcements and familiarized people with the impact and consequences of arbitrarily dumping their rubbish,” he said.
Some residents ignored the decree while others did not, he said.
Sarmento said the streets of Kaikoli were half clear of rubbish.
Department of Sanitation Dili chief Domingos dos Santos recognized some residents chose to disobey the government’s dumping regulations.
Problem areas included Comoro, Akadiruhun and Lecidere, he said.
Dos Santos said it was difficult to deal with offenders.
“We always find and talk to them but they react abruptly and we let them go,” he said.
He said the government had also created a law regulating the keeping of domestic animals in city but the law had not yet been given final approval by the president.
