Local Government and Regional Development Minister Kellawan Lall yesterday announced that Central Government has decided to use the money it owes for rates and taxes to help City Hall meet its contractual obligations to the private garbage collectors.
At a media conference at his Fort Street, Kingston office, Minister Lall said that government owes the city $80M and that this will be used to pay Cevon’s Waste Management and Puran Brothers. According to Minister Lall, government considers this a suitable arrangement, and whilst it recognises that City Hall may have other priorities, like the salaries of its employees, the citizens of Georgetown expect that Government would rectify the situation.
These decisions are a direct result of a meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo, Minister Lall and the private contractors who agreed to return to work once some monies were paid. Minister Lall said that this arrangement would continue until the end of the year.
Additionally, the Minister indicated that he has agreed with the council’s plan to boost its ‘in-house’ garbage collection and disposal capabilities and will grant permission for the use of $20M of government funds, to purchase two garbage trucks.
Minister Lall unveiled a plan by his Ministry to aggressively assist the Mayor and City Council in the acquisition of both human and physical resources. He pointed to the severe lack of transportation that affects the smooth running of the council and to the fact that in just one department, the City Engineer’s, there is need for at least 200 personnel.
The Ministries of Local Government and the Public Works and Communication have already embarked on a $10M landscaping exercise throughout the city as part of its plan to assist the council.
The Minister however registered his discontent with what he termed the “inefficient” leadership at City Hall and said that there was need for a re-organization of its core functions. Minister Lall dismissed as “untrue” the claims by City Council that Government stymies its revenue collection ideas and pointed to the fact that the council has the Minister’s permission to legally pursue defaulters as evidence of this.
Minister Lall encouraged the council to come to the table with feasible ideas that Government will have no problems entertaining. He indicated that the onus is on citizens too, and whilst urging businesses to maintain their environment, he called for punitive measures to be taken against those who defaulted in this regard.
The Minister said that throughout the period of the non-collection of garbage in the city, the citizens of Georgetown disposed of their garbage responsibly, and could hardly be blamed for where their garbage ended up. Minister Lall said that whilst unsavoury, the prevailing situation highlighted the need for a more comprehensive waste disposal programme.
Several weeks ago, independent garbage disposal contractors with the city withdrew their services because of City Hall’s inability to pay them for services. What followed was an unprecedented pile up of garbage in the city which saw the need for Central Government to once again come to the aid of its citizens, and introduce initiatives through the Ministries of Local Government, Transport and Hydraulics and Public Works and Communication to remedy the situation.
Also present at the media conference were Permanent Secretary Nigel Dharamlall, and the Town Clerk, City Treasurer and City Engineer.(GINA)