Garbage collection in the town of Rose Hall and neighbouring communities in Berbice has been handed over to private contractors.
The move, effective from February 18, 2012, is as a result of a directive from the Local Govern-ment Ministry to the Rose Hall Town Council and various Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and has prompted criticism from the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC), which says it was hastily done with very little consultation and has left residents of the township confused.
The ministry is saying the decision is to ensure more efficient solid waste management and is a step in the right direction for the country, while the CCCC has raised concern over the fees being called for by contractors and it alleged that while the Town Council has been shut out of the process, the contractors are using its equipment, employees and property.
On Tuesday, Permanent Secretary Colin Croal stated that currently the local governing bodies operate a dump site, where all the garbage collected is simply dumped. Croal said that with the new arrangement, the two private firms contracted by the government will not only collect garbage, but build and manage a solid waste site.
Croal was at the time responding to complaints voiced by the CCCC, which said in a statement that at a recent statutory meeting it “express-ed amazement and disbelief” at the ministry directive.
The Chamber described the policy implementation as “indecently hasty” and said that residents are confused and in disarray about what to do with their garbage. The group also stated that questions linger as to why fees for this new system of garbage collection are so high, the position of taxes paid to the Council considering their change in policy, and the overall purpose of the Council, since it is no longer responsible for what is generally considered to be its primary role.
Allegations were also made that the private contractors were utilising Council equipment to carry out their responsibilities, and are operating from the Council premises.
Croal explained that there were a number of considerations which led to the decision. He stated that the current methods used by the Council for managing its solid waste is no longer acceptable, and that newer, more proficient solid waste management practices need to be adopted. He said that the two entities which have been awarded the contracts have been assessed and have been found to be both financially and otherwise capable of implementing and maintaining such practices.
Croal refuted allegations that the decision has diminished the role of the Town Council, since it still has equally important responsibilities such as the building and maintaining of roads as well as addressing drainage. He said with this decision lifts a burden from the Council and NDCs, enabling them to now use their time and resources to carry out other responsibilities.
In relation to the cost for this service, Croal said that that the contractors will be charging $300 per barrel of garbage. Noting the complaints by the Chamber, Croal said that the charge is reasonable, considering all that the contractors are required to do. He explained that the two private firms will be responsible for developing the solid waste sites as well as the management of these sites. He said that the cost of all machinery and equipment to be used in the sites’ management will be borne solely by the firms. He also said that the firms will also be covering the sites daily, which is somewhat expensive. He said that the landfills have already been identified, utilising the Environmental Protection Agency-prescribed “criteria for the identification and approval of landfill sites for local solid waste disposal in Guyana,” in New Amsterdam, Kilcoy/Chesney and Bloomfield, all located in East Berbice. As such, taking all these requirements into consideration, Croal maintained that the $300 cost is minimal.
He also said the initial cost proposal made by the contracts was admittedly high, particularly the cost attached to picking up garbage from public places. Croal said that the contractors were initially asking for $15,000 per tonne for the removal of garbage form markets in the area. He said, however, that a meeting was held on Monday at which they renegotiated the price. Croal admitted that the local governing bodies have contacted the ministry to voice their concerns and he stated that a meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow with the municipality, NDCs and the Chamber, during which these issues will be “trashed out.”
Croal also noted his lack of surprise about the complaints, saying that it is normal to have such a response when changes are made to systems that have existed for some time. Nevertheless, he said that as it relates to solid waste management in Guyana, “having private contractors handling these things is the way to go.”
