A Garbage Tax to Stop Roadside Dumping

Following the publication of my recent article on measures to curb roadside garbage dumping, I observed that the small wall-mounted notice board indicating penalties has since been removed. However, the garbage accumulated directly beneath that board remains unchanged.

 It appears that some residents—either unable or unwilling to pay so-called “santhosams” to garbage collectors—may be resorting to dumping their waste on pavements. This points to a systemic issue rather than isolated misconduct.

 As a sustainable solution to this long-standing problem, I propose that the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), under the leadership of Her Worship the Mayoress, Ms. Vraie Cally Balthazaar, considers introducing a structured garbage tax. This levy could be designed along progressive lines, similar to the PAYE system, where only those with greater capacity to pay are required to contribute.

 The proceeds of this tax could be equitably distributed (ex gratia) among garbage collection staff, thereby removing the perceived need for informal payments. It has been brought to my attention that garbage is sometimes collected only from households that provide such “santhosams”, a practice that undermines both equity and public trust.

 In essence, a transparent garbage tax would help eliminate this form of petty bribery at the grassroots level of municipal service delivery. 

It is noteworthy that all major religions unequivocally condemn bribery. In Buddhism, the giving of bribes violates Right Action and Right Livelihood under the Noble Eightfold Path. The bribe taker abuses trust and power, which is considered wrong livelihood and a serious ethical fault.

In Islam, both giving and accepting bribes are haraam (forbidden). Bribery is regarded as a major sin because it destroys justice, honesty, and trust, and involves the unjust consumption of wealth—strongly condemned in the Qur’an.

 A clean city must be built on clean systems. Addressing the root causes of informal payments is an essential step toward achieving both.

 In essence, it will then be ‘Clean Streets, Clean Hands: Replacing ‘Santhosams’ with Systemic Reform’

Mohamed Zahran

 Colombo