THREE waste-collection trucks, for which Cabinet has already approved the  purchase, will be deployed to the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara, said  Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Norman Whittaker.

Minister Whittaker made this disclosure at a recent press conference at the ministry’s boardroom, Kingston, and he explained that the use of the  trucks in  the identified areas  is based on consideration of the  limited resources available to the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), as well as  the fact that such conditions are  part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded loan agreement.
Whittaker stated that   the IDB-funded loan agreement, which is aimed at improving solid waste management, specifies that “these compactor trucks” be made available, and these trucks will be used in these areas because the NDCs are limited in terms of the rates and taxes that they collect.
He indicated that the average annual inflow of revenue for the NDC constituencies is between $25M and $30M while the Georgetown Mayor & City Council (M&CC) has a revenue intake of over $1B.
Whittaker further stated that while the NDCs receive an annual $3M subvention, the  M&CC receives $20M in subvention, and  the government through the Local Government  Ministry and the Ministry of Public Works has provided the Council with similar resources.
“If you look at Georgetown’s 10 groups, they have the benefit of the involvement of private contractors who are responsible for eight of the 10 groups,” he added.   Whittaker pointed out also that most of the NDCs have been able to efficiently manage their limited resources to take care of their own solid waste.
He  noted that the reason for the trucks being used in the identified areas would be because of the logistics involved and he cited the distance from which the solid waste is being brought.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, made the announcement on Wednesday, 6th March at his weekly media briefing that Cabinet had granted its no-objection to a contract for the procurement of three waste-collection trucks, collectively estimated to value US$464,212.
In the meantime, the City Council continues to collect waste from all sections of the capital and for this year claimed to have already expended about $60M in this area.