MINISTER of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud last Saturday stated that the ministry is working closely with the Local Government Ministry to bring the Solid Waste Bill to a point where it will be the only single entity in the Guyana that will overlook solid waste management. 

“The issue of Solid Waste Management and creating a clean Guyana has to be done through a collaboration with the public and private sectors, NGOs but also requires a higher level of interagency collaboration, especially at state and elected institutions,” Persaud stated.
Speaking at a panel discussion about the $1B budget allocation, accommodated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff, various parties and government officials alongside Minister Robert Persaud, Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran and Minister of Local Government, Norman Whittaker highlighted their perspectives on Solid Waste Management at the Amerindian Village, Sophia Exhibition Centre.
The aim was to create the space for experts and stakeholders to discuss and document challenges and opportunities in Solid Waste Management and develop an action plan to be implemented through a participatory approach involving individuals, communities, institutions and the society as a whole.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) along with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment made this issue of solid waste disposal a “priority” since the EPA Act, according to Minister Persaud, was “insufficient” and required a comprehensive, practical legal mechanism to deal with individuals and business entities that indulge in littering.
Persaud focused on guidelines proposed by the ministry and the EPA whereby there should be an acceleration of landfill sites since this is already a big issue in Georgetown. He also noted that the best practical way in bringing about behavioural change is by working with children in the school systems since they are Guyana’s future.
The Government has made this issue of solid waste disposal a “priority” so efforts made by the Local Government Ministry should be nothing but “sustainable,” Persaud said.
Minister Whittaker on the other hand, stated that consultations have been held to engage a number of sectors to combat the dilemma and there is a reasonable expectation that the communities themselves will not be left with the responsibility to maintain this concern alone but rather the “statutory body” will be left with a role in the sustenance of the works.
“This can be achieved by not only pouring resources but by getting the nation to recognise that they are all contributors toward the solid waste situation that we confront in our country, therefore we must all be part of the solution to this problem,” stated Whittaker.
With regard to the issue of vending and its contribution to the increased garbage around the city, Minister Whittaker stated that this particular dispute has “not been implemented” but rather the committee came up with plans of “what is to be done, with what resources.”
“We need to engage the beneficiaries so that we will get early buy-in to the project since sustainability is very important,” said Whittaker.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, Minister of Health expounded on the said initiatives proposed by Minister Persaud and Minister Whittaker in agreeing that this is a “multi-stakeholder project and no one agency can do it alone” whereas the Ministry of Health will gladly be a part of this initiative.
The panel discussion proceeded with perspectives made by the audience and feedback from the ministers in which the challenges were successfully documented to foster a clean Guyana.
Government has in its Budget 2014, $1B to the ‘Clean Up My Country’ initiative of which $500M will be devoted to direct efforts to clean Georgetown.
Written By Shivanie Sugrim