MINISTER of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, along with Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), Robert Persaud, and the Minister of Public Works (MPW), Robeson Benn, engaged representatives of several private and public sector agencies and other stakeholders

A meeting held recently at the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union Boardroom, including representatives of the Ministries of Education / Public Works / Natural Resource and the Environment / Amerindian Affairs, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), the Private Sector, the City Council and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to discuss and agree on a menu of measures that needed to be taken and enforced with respect to the issue of sustaining “the Clean-Up My Country Programme.”
Whittaker and the Clean-Up My Country Programme implementing team were commended for the tremendous task which they undertook to clean-up Georgetown, and the administrative Regions of Guyana. Across the board, the views and sentiments expressed by participants can be summarised as follows:
Several agencies expressed the need for enforcement of policies that govern the environment (which will in many ways address the issue of how people treat their environment) should be addressed along with the need for cultural change which gravely contributes to people’s perception of how garbage should be disposed.
The discussions were very proactive. Several of the representatives along with each minister expressed concerns and put forward suggestions which can assist in the sustainability of the $1B Clean-Up My Country Programme which is expected to come to an end by the end of January 2015.
Benn said that it was ‘the hope that the City would have been handed over back to the Council after the clean-up activities in a much more manageable state and that the Council would have continued where the programme left off, but this seems very unlikely since the Council needs to get their act together and there appears to be a game of shameless shirking of responsibilities which has a tremendous negative impact on the environment and its aesthetics.
Benn added that ‘there is a lack of accord between the Council and the Constabulary’ on the issue of lack of enforcement by the Council’s enforcement arm.
Persaud in his brief remarks said: “There are lots of technical people who are being paid to do a job but they are not delivering.” He also made reference to the in excess of 800 persons who are employed by the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC).
Persaud said that these persons need to get the job done or be fired. The Natural Resources and the Environment Minister called for “an increase of citizenry participation where persons are mobilised in very aggressive way on grounds of keeping the environment clean”. He also charged the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) “to be more aggressive with its litter warden programme.”
The minister said: “We have gone past the stage of reminding people of the adverse effects of littering” and called on the EPA “to use the name and shame strategy where persons are taken to court for littering and have their names fully published”.
Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba pointed out that at the Municipality, “there is a problem of lack of enforcement since the Enforcement Section of the Council is not proactive in getting the work done. If this is addressed, much more can be done by way of service provision to the people of Georgetown”.
Solid Waste Director, Walter Narine advocated working towards extending the solid waste service provided to include “sweeping of streets in the commercial areas of Georgetown in the evenings” as he felt this would relieve passersby of the unsightliness they are exposed to in the mornings. He also said that there is a large percentage of bulk waste which is not carted away by the service providers and he called on the authorities “to re-enforce the private collector contracts so they can place emphasis on the collection of bulk waste.” This will minimise the risk of persons dumping bulk waste in the public spaces and in water ways.
Overall, the meeting was very productive. Each representative made his/her contributions, and across the table, there was an atmosphere of collaboration. Whittaker told the gathering that as part of the Clean-Up My Country
Programme, 12 skip metal bins will be placed around the Municipal Markets and other public spaces where there is a need for such to address the concern of temporary storage of garbage in the market and public spaces. In addition, 45 gallon metal barrels will be distributed to households who are in need of such receptacles.
On the regional front, tractor and trailers will be handed over to several Neighbourhood Democratic Councils ( NDCs) so they can continue with the bulk waste programme which was initiated under the Clean-Up My Country Programme as well as the cleaning of public spaces.
Whittaker also called on the private sector to play a more meaningful role in sustaining a clean environment. He expressed his disappointment at the absence of a representative from the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry. On more disappointing news, an invitation was sent to the Georgetown Mayor, Mr. Hamilton Green followed by a personal phone call from Hon. Norman Whittaker, but His Worship failed to show up at the meeting to discuss what role the Georgetown Municipality will play in the sustenance of the clean-up programme.
The next step will be to prepare a proposal based on the recommendations which were made and submit to Cabinet for its approval.