— or pay $10,000 fine, says Solid Waste Management director

BUSINESS owners were on Friday morning reminded that it is not only the Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) job to keep drains clean in the city, but that they also have a duty to clear those in front of their premises.
Head of Solid Waste Management, Mr Walter Narine, said that according to the Municipal District and Councils Act, business owners are required to clean their drains by 08:00 hrs each day.

According to the law, if an environmental officer turns up and finds the drains unclean by that time, a fine of $10,000 could be imposed on the business, he noted.
Narine was speaking at the third consultation meeting on Friday that the M&CC had organised to “rap” with business owners from Stabroek, Werk-en-Rust, Newburg, Charlestown, Albouystown and Middle Road on the way forward regarding garbage collection.
The business community is so far supportive of the move by the City Council to implement a separate fee for the collection of commercial waste, especially since many of them have to pay private contractors for the removal of such waste.

The M&CC said it wants to consult with all business owners in the city first before calling them for a meeting to announce the figures, which will represent three classes of businesses namely small, medium and large.
Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran offered that the fee was divided into three categories so that the smaller businesses, obviously generating a small amount of waste, would not have to pay the same amount as those businesses putting out a lot more.
Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, who chaired the meeting, heard different proposals from the businesspeople regarding what the fees should be, including $100, $300, and $500 per barrel. One businesswoman of K. Rahaman and Sons, suggested a monthly fee of $5000.

GOOD INITIATIVE
Jermaine Langevine, owner of White Castle Fish Shop on Hadfield Street, said he pays $20,000 per month to private garbage contractors. He is supportive of the M&CC’s initiative to introduce the new fee.
The Council’s first meeting last Monday was with business owners from Lacytown, Bourda, North and South Cummingsburg, Robbstown and Kingston.
Although Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran alluded to the low turn-out at that meeting, they had no idea that their second meeting with businesses from Queenstown and Alberttown, would see only two business representatives turning up.

The fourth consultation will be on Tuesday, April 11, with business operators from Wortmanville, Lodge, Lodge Housing Scheme, and Durban Backlands.
Meanwhile, the mayor, at a previous meeting, lamented that City Hall cannot afford to keep up with the weekly amount of $1.8M that has to be spent to clear commercial waste only.
She pointed out that the refusal of some businesses not to show up for the consultation constitutes gross disrespect for the Council. When decisions are made, she observed that it is the same individuals who complain that they were never consulted. “They’re too disrespectful to the Council! They’re accustomed to the lawlessness over the years and they want to remain like that,” she charged.

“Businesses want to use every little space in front of them, but doesn’t [sic] want to pay the Council anything,” Chase-Green said.
At that meeting, Narine had referred to the practice of businesspeople to sweep dust into the drains, which he noted results in a host of problems that have to be cared for by City Hall. This, he noted, is notwithstanding the fact that many businesses do not remit their rates and taxes to the council in a timely fashion.

Meanwhile, the Solid Waste Department has recently recognised the efforts of some of its employees including Seeram Sukraj, Norbert Edwards, Rhonda Porter, Brian Freeman, Clive Singh and Nazim Gafoor.
The employees were said to have been performing well in their duties and Mayor Chase-Green even visited them at their Princes Street location to hand out certificates and offer words of encouragement to them for their hard work.