By Telesha Ramnarine

ALTHOUGH City Hall a few weeks ago boasted that it is equipped with its own staff and trucks to collect garbage and suspended the services of two private contractors, the municipality is now considering hiring them back.City Hall had dropped the services of the two major solid waste companies, Puran’s Brothers Disposal Services and Cevons Waste Management Inc., because the municipality said it could take care of these services on its own and thus save costs.

But Mayor Patricia Chase-Green said last Monday that she was not satisfied with what she is seeing in the city with regard to garbage.

“We took over some areas and it would appear to me that we are not capable of doing what we said in that whole area; that we will have to call in back some contractors to give back some areas to them.”

The mayor said after suspension of the private contractors, there have been continuous complaints of garbage all over the city. On one occasion, she received a report that one truck had dumped a barrage of tires in the cemetery.
She also spoke of instances where garbage was left on street corners and in front of businesses after City Hall’s trucks failed to pick them up.

Meanwhile, there have also been complaints from residents that City Hall’s trucks were not working according to schedule and would turn up without them being informed. This has often resulted in garbage being left at households, and a piling up.

Due to the new arrangement, too, City Hall had said that it would only be clearing the central business district in Georgetown once a day as compared to twice previously. On the other hand, residential garbage was removed twice weekly, but is now being removed only once.

According to the current schedule in place, City Hall said its trucks would be serving West Ruimveldt on Mondays; East Ruimveldt on Tuesdays; Middle Road La Penitence on Wednesdays; East La Penitence on Thursdays, and North-East La Penitence on Fridays.

Town Clerk Royston King had told the Guyana Chronicle that the new system is working well, given the council’s “very, very limited” resources. He said the once daily clearing of garbage for businesses is not sufficient, but is the best the council could do, given its financial constraints.

The council, he added, was optimistic that there would be a different cost for the collection of commercial waste during 2017. He noted that it was unfair for businesses to be paying the same amount as residents.

“It’s a very expensive service, and we need to separate the two,” King said, because it is imperative that businesses have adequate garbage receptacles so that refuse does not spill on to the pavements and thoroughfares.

King had also said that the suspension of business between the council and the private garbage contractors is temporary. He said the services of private garbage contractors are important, but the council is not in a position to utilise those services currently, due to financial challenges.

He disclosed that both garbage disposal companies would be paid their outstanding balances by the end of this month. Together, they are owed more than $200M.

“We remain very grateful to these contractors for their patience, understanding and cooperation. They continued working while waiting for their money. We hope that this period will not affect our long-term relationship,” King said.