The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has penalised 66 business premises in the central business district for not subscribing to solid waste management systems.

The behaviour is contrary to the Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 100 of 2011 on Solid Waste Management and the SI No. 12 of 2018, among other laws and have been penalised accordingly.

LCC Public Relations Manager George Sichimba says the affected premises were discovered last week during the door to door inspection conducted by the combined team of council public health inspectors and council police officers.

Mr. Sichimba says none of the 66 affected premises could justify how they disposal of waste from their premises leading to a conclusion that they could be the ones using unauthorised persons to collect waste from their premises and dumping it in undesignated places such as road islands and drainages.

He says of late, incidences of indiscriminate dumping of waste in CBD and Kamwala trading areas, have increased frustrating the council’s continued effort to keep the two areas clean.

He adds that the inspections will continue to make sure that noncompliant premises are brought to book.

The LCC Public Relations Manager says subscriptions to solid waste management systems would also be used as one of the requirements for renewal of trading permits for 2019 business year.

Meanwhile, LCC has recommended for prosecution, 37 bar owners for engaging in illegal liquor trade.

Mr. Sichimba says the 37 were found trading in liquor without liquor licenses and without proper sanitary facilities during routine inspections in Kalingalinga, Mtendere, Bauleni, Chilenje and Hellen Kaunda townships last week.

He adds that the affected business premises have since been issued with closure notices pending prosecution.