space Press Releases, News Stories

DEVELOPMENT TODAY

This is the conclusion of Jorn Jespersen, Chair of the Danish Parliament's Environment and Regional Planning Committee, which questioned former Development Minister Poul Nielson about the project just prior to his recent appointment as EU Aid Commissioner.

Nielson was a strong supporter of the DKK 57 million Danish International Assistance (Danida) project, and suspended Danish support when Mozambican authorities considered following the advice of consultants and exporting the waste to South Africa for treatment there. (See DT 8/99)

Based on the coverage in Development Today, Jerpsersen's committee grilled Nielson about whether Danida's involvement was in fact conditional on incineration in Mozambique.

Jespersen, a long-time critic of this controversial project, describes Nielson's answers as "mainly old wine in new bottles".

However, he tells DT, Nielson did not rule out a continuation of Danida financial support should the government in Maputo decide on a solution other than incineration on site.

The former Minister's only concern was that Denmark not fund export of the pesticide waste to South Africa, as recommended by the Mozambican consultant Impacto, he says.

Jespersen concludes that Danida is not pressuring Mozambique to opt for the Danish solution.

"We have now communicated [this] to Mozambican NGOs that are actively following the project," he says.

Mozambique's Environmental Secretary General Francisco Mabjaia tells African Eye News Service in Maputo that the government is now considering exporting the pesticides for destruction at specialised facilities.

It would reportedly cost at least USD 600,000 to export the pesticides.

"This may be a huge amount in Mozambique, but it should be compared with the initial cost of the Danish project (DKK 57 million],"comments Jespersen.

He adds that Danida estimates the disposal costs, including incineration hardware, supervision and environmental auditing, at DKK 5.9 million.

"The idea of exporting the pesticides for treatment in Europe thus seems to be economically feasible. If Mozambique decides to export the pesticides, I am confident that Denmark would fund the costs," Jespersen says.

Still, he insists that the first priority is to pressure the pesticide producers to accept responsibility for the disposal of obsolete pesticides.

Denmark's further involvement in the project depends now on Nielson's successor Jan Trojborg. So far the new Minister refuses to comment.