– administration prepares to submit 2015 Equipment Maintenance Plan

ACTING Town Clerk of the Georgetown Municipality, Ms.Carol Sooba, has given word that the drafting of a 2015 Maintenance Plan for the refurbishing of equipment by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is currently in progress. 

Speaking with this publication, the Town Clerk (Ag.) disclosed that subject to a recent meeting with City Engineer, Mr.Colvern Venture, there was an expressed commitment to complete the proposal within a matter of days.
This was confirmed by the City Engineer who, while speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, gave word that same is to be done within the time span of three days.
Venture said that the suggestion from the Local Government Ministry was for a proposal schedule to be drafted for the maintenance of equipment held by the municipality. When asked about items included in the document, the City Engineer said, “the list mostly [includes] repairs to the garbage trucks” which have some “mechanical and electrical problems.”
Commenting on the possibility for improved effectiveness of the city administration in solid waste management, Venture stated that there will be a visible improvement of the Council in dealing with the current garbage situation as well as the current canal de-silting works. “Clean up is also about the removal of debris, the trucks will aid in the continued maintenance and enhancement of the projects being done.”
The Government of Guyana had invested $1B into the “Clean Up My Guyana” campaign which sought the involvement of not only the Local Government Ministry, but the Georgetown Mayor & City Council, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The $500M Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme is currently in progress and will see not only the de-silting of main canals in and around Georgetown, but also a facelift for Le Repentir Cemetery to the tune of $100M. All of which, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Norman Whittaker had disclosed, the city administration in collaboration with Community Development Councils (CDCs) or other organised community groups will be tasked with maintaining.
The City Engineer bemoaned the negative media attention that was given to the situation of the inoperable garbage trucks. He urged that there will be some positive results following repairs to this equipment. “The maintenance and repairs will see an improvement in terms of the quick removal of garbage from business places and residents and also, there will be a quick response in the reduction in indiscriminate dumping of garbage in areas.”
Solid Waste Director of Georgetown, Mr. Walter Narine for his part hinted that the Council hopes to reclaim solid waste management responsibility for key areas around Georgetown.
He noted that there are currently two private contractors with responsibility over key areas in Georgetown: Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. and Cevons Waste Management Inc. The Solid Waste Director further disclosed that “The repairs to trucks [will] help to reduce the costs that come to paying private contractors to carry out these works”, he added that “[the] council can eventually take back some of the areas that private contractors service.”
The City Council in previous times held direct responsibility for garbage disposal in what was identified as blocks seven and eight. These areas included: Alberttown, Queenstown, North and South Cummingsburg, Kingston, Woolford Avenue, East and West Ruimveldt, Middle Road La Penitence and a few others.
Council was forced to delegate this responsibility to private contractors because of what the City Engineer cited as “mechanical and electrical problems” with the garbage trucks.
Speaking on the potentially tremendous benefits to the Council through reclaiming some areas, the Solid Waste Director stated strongly that council not only has the workforce for the task, but they possess a workforce that is “willing to work.”
These developments come on the wings of an indication by the Local Government Minister that the agreement by the Government to repair derelict vehicles and other equipment is on condition that the city administration submits a maintenance plan for the year 2015, which is still to be completed.

(By Derwayne Wills)