REPRESENTATIVES of the two main garbage contractors in Georgetown are disappointed with the stance taken by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to extend the ‘lives’ of the smaller contractors who were hired lately until the end of January 2019.

Both companies have said they are keeping their fingers crossed and are hoping that the City Council would call them before the end of the year to resume their services.
The City Council is arguing, based on a legal opinion, that the contractors – Puran Brothers Disposal Services and Cevons Waste Management Inc. – have both rendered their contracts null and void by deciding to terminate their services.

The City Council has said that based on the contracts in place, the contractors’ option would have been to take the City Council to court, as opposed to suspending their services.
“Our contract is expiring in 2020, but according to the mayor (Outgoing Mayor Patricia Chase-Green), it’s as if the contract has already expired. Their position is very unhealthy for our business. This is not good for business; not very encouraging for business at all,” Manager of Puran Brothers, Kaleshwar Puran, told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday.

Due to it being a five-year contract, Puran said the company would have invested in the job for that period of time and set up certain facilities. “We have a lot of employees who could become affected; not just the direct employees but the support staff as well.”
Puran said these are the circumstances even though the company was not at fault at any point in time. “I am not sure if we will be working from January; I am just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that they will call us and tell us to resume by January 1.”
Business Development Manager at Cevons, Morris Archer, told Chronicle yesterday that his company too is awaiting word from the City Council on the way forward.

He said while the council is saying the company breached its contract, the fact is that they did not have the resources to continue working. “If you aren’t getting paid, at some point you’d have to stop working. We’re disappointed. The same way they’re paying the small contractors, they could have paid us. But they not paying us, yet they’re taking on new contractors,” Archer expressed.

Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry maintained on Friday that the municipality is extending the services of the smaller contractors for one more month, up to January 31, during which time a second legal opinion would be sought.

“The first opinion is that the contractors have rendered their contracts null and void by stopping their work. We are now in the process of writing another attorney,” Harry said.
The M&CC has said that it wants to re-examine its relationship with their two main garbage contractors, and see whether or not the smaller contractors cannot be used on a long term basis beginning 2019.

“We don’t dance to the contractors’ tune. I’m sorry,” Chase-Green said, adding, “This council will take a stand. They’ve taken us for granted for too long. Every Christmas time, they put us in crisis.”
While the contract between the parties allows for a three month credit facility, the contractors have not been paid since June 2018.

Councillor Ivelaw Henry had called for basic standards to be set for those contractors operating currently. They are working in a whimsical and unprofessional manner, he pointed out, and their manner of dress is inappropriate.

Meanwhile, the Government of Guyana has once again decided to step in and assist the cash-strapped municipality to honour its obligations to the contractors. As such, this support will allow for 100 per cent of the debts being paid in January.