— owed over $300M by City Hall

CEVONS Waste Management and Puran Brothers Disposal Inc, the two principal waste disposal entities contracted to the Georgetown Municipality have suspended their services to the City with effect from today.

The companies in a release said this decision is due to absence of progress in efforts to secure payments totalling in excess of $300M, owed to them by the Georgetown City Council.

“Our decision to communicate this information directly to the citizens and institutions in and around the Capital City of Georgetown who will be affected by any suspension of waste disposal services derives from our awareness of the likely implications of such action. Indeed, it is our wish that a change in the circumstances that led to our decision to withdraw our services in the first place can come about quickly, thereby, significantly minimising the impact of the action that comes into effect tomorrow (today),” the companies said.

The two companies had returned to work on Wednesday, July 12 following four days of an earlier suspension of service on July 7.

The companies said their return to work was contingent on an understanding reached with the municipality that a meeting would be held shortly thereafter to discuss the execution of plans to make a payment to the service providers.

Up to this time, the companies said, notwithstanding assurances given by Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan that the way had been cleared for such a meeting, the municipality has shown no inclination to meet them.

City Hall’s indebtedness to the two waste disposal companies dates back as far as 2015.

“Additionally, neither its promises to make payments nor the time frames associated with those promises can be relied upon. Further, engagements between City Hall and us on the matter of the outstanding debts are customarily characterised by insensitivity on the part of the municipality’s bureaucrats and disrespect for the two companies and a shocking level of indifference in response to our appeals for their understanding of our situations. It is not uncommon for City Hall to give assurances and then cynically torpedo their own assurances when the time comes for honouring said promises draws near. A point has been reached where we have no faith in their promises,” the two companies said.

Previous withdrawals of service by the two companies have led to the short-term recruitment of inadequately equipped replacements. That approach has had its own negative consequences.

Cevons Waste Management and Puran Brothers Disposal Inc said their attempt to engage the attention of the Council during their most recent strike action was met by a rude demand that they restore services before talks can take place.

“After we had returned to work on 12th, July 2017, the promise of talks was set aside by City Hall. We believe that the citizens would agree that it is entirely unacceptable to expect individuals and/or companies to provide services without being compensated over a protracted period. That is the situation in which we find ourselves. Our services require significant monetary, labour and equipment outlay and have reached a point of near unsustainability, given the fact of the sheer size of City Hall’s debt to us. Out of a sense of obligation to the recipients of our services, we have endured the situation up until now. The continual drain on our limited resources, coupled with no discernable indication of a meaningful change in the situation for the foreseeable future, have pushed us to breaking point,” the companies added.

They added: “Mindful as we are of the importance to both the health of the population and the environmental bona fides of our country, we have formally notified His Excellency the President of our decision, providing him with assurances that we stand ready to resume our respective services as soon as we are afforded proper assurances on the issue of the liquidation of the debts.”

The two waste collection companies said they are not holding City Hall to ransom and hopes City Hall will act in a manner that will minimise the difficulties that are bound to arise in this difficult situation.