Riyadh, Sep 30 (Arab News): The spokesman for the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Hamad Al-Omar, said the recent announcement concerning the fees of some municipal services represent the maximum fees.

He explained to a local newspaper that the regulations and the decisions for the application of the new fees will soon be issued by the ministry, within 90 days of the issuance of the decision.

“The regulations contain the specific amount of each fee in addition to the timeline for its application, taking into account its gradual implementation,” said the spokesman.

Al-Omar confirmed that during the specified period, the fees will be announced, then their application will begin on several stages, beginning with the minimum according to the requirements of each stage.
At a later stage, the services to be subjected to the new fees will be determined in accordance with the requirements of each stage in order to clarify the criteria used in setting the amount of each fee.
The ministry earlier issued a statement in mid-Dhul Qadah clarifying the amount of fees for municipal services under study.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Province Secretariat approved a fine of SR200 for the violation of dumping waste on the streets and in public places, parks and the waterfront. The fine is aimed at protecting the environment and maintaining cleanness and hygiene issues in the cities.

The EP Secretariat and its project Ematta, which means removing any wastes from the streets and public places, also celebrated the 86th Saudi National Day. The one-day event included an open painting workshop with the participation of a number of male and female artists who shared their artwork of national logos and images with the public.
The event also included a variety of recreational and educational competitions about the importance of maintaining cleanliness, in addition to wall designs and sketches to show appreciation and support for the brave soldiers stationed at the southern border.

Abdullah Al-Qur’ani, deputy mayor of EP for services, said the event came as a contribution by the Ematta project to strengthen the culture and behavior of maintaining hygiene following the steps made by the EP Secretariat.

He stressed that the project aims to enhance public hygiene in the region, noting that the secretariat sponsored the Ematta project for a whole year and implemented 12 educational outreach programs highlighting the importance of personal hygiene and maintaining a litter-free environment. The programs targeted all segments of society.
Mohammed Al-Sufyan, director of public relations and spokesman for the Eastern Province Municipality, said the Ematta project implemented by the services department lunched a pledge campaign on the social networking site Twitter.

“About 90,000 people interacted with the campaign and pledged to maintain hygiene and cleanness, and 1,500 workers in Alkhobar also pledged to work on the project along with the participation of 24 schools which have qualified 300 students to work as volunteers in the campaign with seven government agencies,” said Al-Sufyan.

He noted that 24 agreements with government and private agencies were concluded to deliver the project concepts and contents to all citizens and residents of all age groups, in addition to the participation of 70 volunteers in cleaning up the benches during the Saudi League games, as well as raising the awareness of the public on the importance of hygiene and cleanliness.