–early into the new year, M&CC says

WITHIN the first quarter of 2018, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will be moving to charge residents a fee for the collection and disposal of their household waste.
“We are now moving to ask residents in local communities to help us, as we subsidise the collection of waste by paying a small fee. I understand that they are looking at perhaps $200 a barrel,” Town Clerk Royston King told the Guyana Chronicle.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Council’s fortnightly statutory meeting, King said the cost per barrel is still within the realm of discussion within the Council’s Finance Committee.
While the modalities are still being worked out, King said residents will be required to visit the Treasury’s Department and pay the fee at the same time as they would pay their rates and taxes.

King said that the M&CC will give appropriate notification, and will also have consultations.
Meanwhile, he said the municipality is particularly grateful to the government for the bailout that it was recently granted. In addition to paying the outstanding amounts to the garbage contractors, the government had worked out a special arrangement for garbage collection and disposal until December 31.

Asked how the Council will manage from January, when it will be responsible for providing the service, King said: “I would say citizens have absolutely nothing to worry about in terms of collection and disposal of their garbage as of January.”
He said discussions are currently ongoing with the Finance Committee, so that a meeting can be scheduled with the M&CC’s two main garbage contractors before the end of the year.

“We are aware that we have an obligation towards the city to ensure there’s an effective and efficient collection and disposal of the city’s wastes,” King said.
“The committee is considering inviting other small contractors to be part of the whole arrangement to provide solid waste management infrastructure and also to help with the collection and disposal of wastes,” he added.

While grateful for the help the government has provided, King said the City Council is an autonomous body, and must generate its own revenue.
“The Council must wean itself off of government’s support and generate its own revenue,” he said, “because, once the Council continues to accept government’s support, the Council will then dilute its authority and its autonomy.”