CITY HALL has decided to rehire Puran Brothers Disposal Services to help the municipality with its garbage collection in Georgetown’s central business district.Some weeks ago, City Hall had said it was equipped with its own staff and trucks to collect garbage on its own, and had suspended the services of the two major solid waste companies, Puran Brothers and Cevons Waste Management Inc, who operated in Groups 7, 8, and 10.

City Hall said it was trying to save cost this way, but Mayor Patricia Chase-Green said she felt it necessary to re-hire the private contractors because she was not satisfied with what was happening in the City as it relates to the garbage collection.

The municipality has subsequently recruited once again the services of Puran’s to help clear the business district. The company will clear once a day, and City Hall’s trucks will clear the other time. Hence the business community will again benefit from the two-time collection that was previously being enjoyed.

Meanwhile, Groups 7 (Costello Housing Scheme; West, East and North East La Penitence; Middle Road, La Penitence; Jeeboo Land, and an area known as Extra Nuclear) and 8 (Queenstown, Alberttown, North and South Cummingsburg, Kingston and Woolford Avenue) will continue to be cleared only once a week by City Hall’s trucks.

The M&CC has since said that its garbage trucks would serve 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.

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

Town Clerk Royston King had told the Guyana Chronicle that the new system was 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 was temporary. He had said that the services of private garbage contractors are important, but the Council was 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.