The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning is seeking amendments to the law on public cleanliness to impose stricter fines for littering on the roads. The Ministry has already submitted its recommendations to the higher authorities regarding amendments in the law. This was disclosed by the ministry while responding to queries from the Central Municipal Council (CMC) on the rules and regulations related to public cleanliness. The ministry said violations of the law were a major challenge facing the municipal system and stricter penalties were required to curb them. The ministry recently launched a campaign to raise awareness among members of the public about the importance of keeping the city clean. Billboards displaying the fines for various offences like littering and spitting on the roads have been erected across the city as part of the campaign. The fines range from QR100 to QR500, and the ministry is now planning to increase them further. The ministry has also changed the schedule for collecting waste from public bins from the beginning of this month. The waste is now being collected in the evening, instead of the morning. This is to avoid accumulation of waste in the garbage bins as many people dispose of garbage after the morning hours. Meanwhile, a local Arabic daily reported yesterday that there is a proposal to shift the food inspection department from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to the Ministry of Health. The proposal has been referred to the Cabinet, the paper said. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local%5FNews&subsection=Qatar+News&month=March2009&file=Local_News2009031011637.xml

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