Khaberni - The Ministry of Environment is restructuring and reshaping its inspection system, which will be launched by the end of this year in coordination with the Judicial Council and other partners, as an electronic system to monitor environmental violations.
All field inspectors will be equipped with computers directly linked with the Royal Administration for Nature Protection and the Judicial Council, sending an electronic message to both entities as well as to the violator, according to Omar Arabiyat, the Ministry’s Secretary-General.
He explained that the second phase of integrating the system will occur in 2026 with the Public Security Directorate to identify specific points for violators, and if these are exceeded, specific actions will be taken against them to reinforce the concept of deterrence.
This step aims to increase the effectiveness of inspections conducted by the Ministry, but this requires a direct operational link with the Ministry of Interior, and the Royal Administration for Nature Protection, as reported by Al-Ghad.
To increase the effectiveness of inspections, the Ministry recently obtained approval from the Ministry of Finance to activate night inspections, with a specialized system set up for night teams to work unscheduled, and financial allocations have been specified for this purpose, according to him.
The Ministry of Environment recognizes that there is a problem related to the complete inspection system, indicating that the structure includes a vision of creating a comprehensive team responsible for this system, according to him.
This is accompanied, according to him, by the redesign of inspection procedures, which requires rigorous follow-up to ensure that violations by establishments are not repeated, with both scheduled and unscheduled visits.
Among the initiatives undertaken is the connection of the inspection director with the assistant for provincial affairs, and the director of licensing at the Ministry, according to him. He confirmed that there are 14 inspection offices located throughout the kingdom, which serve as the Ministry's executive arms in the field, according to him. He pointed out that judicial procedures related to environmental violations are "weak", as fines can sometimes be as low as 50 dinars, which is considered minimal, hence some establishments repeat their violations. A new project aimed at holding educational courses for administrative judges has been introduced in the government's economic program.
To enhance these procedures, the Ministry of Environment will propose to the Judicial Council to develop a comprehensive cooperative program aimed at increasing knowledge about environmental procedures, laws, and regulations in effect, according to him.
He mentioned that the proposal will include holding regular meetings every 3 months, for example, to update judges on the environmental developments and problems that have arisen during this period, and the resulting effects, leading to appropriate actions regarding them.
The matter does not stop there, according to him, but through the reviews of legislation, regulations, and guidelines, the violations will be examined to understand the damage they cause to the kingdom's environmental system, leading to outcomes and indicators in this regard.
In addition to working with the Judicial Council, Arabiyat emphasized that the Ministry will directly address the Ministry of Interior regarding environmental violations to take actions on them, consequently directing administrative judges to deal with them.
There are multiple programs related to the environment that the government and Ministry of Government Communications will launch during the current month as part of its comprehensive program.
Comparing the current period and the previous year, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of environmental violations, which Arabiyat attributed to "increased public awareness, intensified monitoring, among other measures".
According to Ministry statistics, violations of random waste dumping from vehicles reached about 6162 between the end of July and up to October 12, while violations of the basic law on waste reached about 4153 during the same period.
