Wild against landfill charges: Economic asphyxiation denounces the Duke, lies and misinformation answered by Hardalias

A new fight has broken out between the Mayor of Athens, Harry Duke’s announcement that the municipality will be invited to pay in 2025 an additional 12m euros for the burial fees and contributions in favor of ECSNA by accusing the Association of a scandalous decision. In particular, Harry Duke asks for an immediate convocation of the relevant bodies of KEDE and PEDA in order to prevent the financial asphyxiation of TTAs from the last decision of the Special Inter-Government Association of Attica (EDSNA). It also points out that ‘the responsibility for the decision lies first with the Region, consultants of which participates in the Executive Committee of ENTSNA and one of them bears the status of its president. The former Deputy Mayor of Purity of the Municipality of Athens is also responsible for the Mayor of Bakoyannis, Mr. Avramides, who now bears the status of Vice President of the E.E.E. of ECSNA”. CORVERSE The answer did not take long to come from the Region of Attica which talks about lies, misinformation and petty political considerations. As they say: “Only grief can cause the contents of the letter of Mayor Athens to KEDE and PEDA, which accuses the Region of Attica (!) of “strangling” the TTAs through the alleged increase in burial fees and contributions by ECSNA. Sadness and genuine question, as no one can understand whether this letter is a product of deep ignorance or merciful expediency. Unfortunately, both seem to apply. And because we have learned to speak only the language of truth, responsibly and clearly, let us see how things are in their right dimension: CORVERSE It is absolutely untrue that there has been an increase in burial fees at the initiative of the ECSNA and in the form of urgency. These costs are applied in a step-by-step manner and result from the implementation of the legislation in force. The Mayor of Athens seems to ignore or overlook the fact that, not by decision of the Region, but under Law 4819/2021, a burial fee has been imposed on the municipalities of the whole country since 1 January 2022. This fee, under the same law, was set at EUR 20 per tonne of waste and increased annually by EUR 5 per tonne, up to the price of EUR 35, while from 1 January 2026 it was set at EUR 45 to reach EUR 55 per tonne from 1 January 2027, at which it stabilises for the following years. Finally, both KEDE and 165 Municipalities of the country have appealed to justice. The burial fee is not an income of ECSNA or the District, but is entirely attributed to E.O.AN. In conclusion, ENTSNA is in accordance with the INTERMEDIATE Act, liable to pay the burial fee, which must be calculated and collected from the municipalities and then attributed to EOAN in accordance with Law 4819/2021. And it goes without saying that the annual price of tuna waste has been set by the Law itself and ONLY! Therefore, in no case is the responsibility of the Region, nor of the ECSNA, the inability of the officials of the Municipality of Athens to include in the budget a cost provided for in the Law and of course that should have been foreseen in the budget of the Municipality. The Mayor of Athens – or those who advise him, by providing him with apparently bad services – should also be well aware that the Executive Committee of ENSNA could never impose any change in pricing policy. For this, it is necessary to make a decision by the Board of Directors of the ECSNA – and a similar decision has never been launched and therefore does not exist! Of course, it is obvious that the whole issue is being worked out by the Mayor, which is why he is also targeting the Vice President of the Executive Committee of the ENSNA, Municipal Council of Athens, who belongs to the major opposition in the City Council. But this is an issue that concerns him and not the Region or the ECSNA – and much rather the citizens themselves. Ignorance or expedient? In any case, the Mayor of Athens is again exposed. Because documented truth dissolves paraphilology. And unfortunately, with cheap impressions, the problem of cleanliness in Athens is not solved. It is sad, when citizens demand from the two degrees of self-government hard, continuous and consistent work to provide definitive solutions to time-consuming problems – such as that of waste management – in order to upgrade the quality of everyday life, the Mayor of Athens chooses to hide behind his responsibilities, with communication tricks of micro-party inspiration, referring to past tactics. We do not know whether this confusion that exudes the text of the letter of the Mayor of Athens is due to ignorance of basic functions of the government due to inexperience or deliberate distortion of the truth due to choice. Another is lack of knowledge and another is misinformation that reaches the limit of empathy. Unfortunately, both are combined on the issue of the announcement of the Mayor of Athens. We know the problems and work daily to solve them. Healing wounds of yesterday that disturb his recovery efforts today. The problem of waste costs will only be solved through a comprehensive and organised waste management plan. A plan that the Regional Authority, along with the ESCSNA and the associated ministries prepares and will soon be presented, giving a definitive end to considerations, delays, excuses and decades-long pathogens that do not allow a definitive solution to the waste management problem in Metropolitan Attica.” The above announcement is signed by the President of ENSNA, Charalambos Siatras, Deputy Regional Environment & Quality of Life.