Residents of the Canton de Mora putting out their trash on the curb, but if delinquent in payment for municipal garbage pick up services, face a fine between ¢424.000 to ¢4.242 million colones.
The measure was taken by the Mayor of Mora, Gilbero Monge, supported by article 50b of Ley 8839 (Law for Integrated Solid Waste Management), with the aim of residents paying for garbage collection and reduce delinquencies.
“When a citizen puts out their garbage at the curb it is because they are current with their (public waste service) payment and are not part of the environmental problem…” said Monge.
The Mayor explained that municipalities are required by law to collect the garbage from public streets, but it is also empowered, by law, to punish citizens for dumping waste on public roads without paying the established fees.
“Like any domiciliary public service provided by the municipality and any other public institution, one of the conditions is that the user who receives it must pay for it,” he said.
The difference with water service, electricity, etc., it is that the user is disconnected if they don’t pay and then are charged a reconnection fee, while the municipality cannot stop collecting solid waste, which is a public health issue.
The Canton de Mora, located between Santa Ana and Puriscal, takes in the communities of Cuidad Colon, Tabarcia and Piedras Negras, among others.
According to the Instituto Nacional Estadística y Censo (INEC) – census – in 2008 the population of Mora was 24.208 people, with the majority living in rural areas. Life expectancy is Mora is 79 on average, though women tend to outlive men: average life of women 81.6 years, to 76.6 for men.
Source Crhoy.com
