AS the festive Christmas season approaches, the residents of Georgetown are confronted with a troubling reality — the city is engulfed in garbage. Piles of waste litter both residential and commercial areas, creating an unsightly and unsanitary environment.
This worsening situation is not merely a seasonal inconvenience; it is a glaring indictment of the long-standing mismanagement by the PNC-led council at City Hall. Councillor Alfonso De Armas, representing the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), has been vocal about the deteriorating state of waste management in Georgetown.
His assertion that the city has suffered under the party’s leadership for decades rings alarmingly true. The council’s inability to implement effective waste management strategies has left Georgetown in a precarious position, particularly as it faces the pressures of increased foot traffic and activity during the holiday season.
De Armas highlights a critical issue: the city is over 60 days behind on payments to its solid-waste contractors. This delay raises serious questions about how these contractors can be expected to fulfil their obligations when City Hall itself is failing to meet its financial commitments.
Furthermore, with approximately 70 per cent of the city’s revenue allocated to an “inefficient” payroll, there is little left for essential services such as garbage collection. This misallocation of resources reflects a fundamental flaw in governance that prioritises bureaucracy over public service.
The council’s recent decision to extend contracts with waste- management firms such as Cévon’s Waste Management Services and Puran Brothers Disposal Incorporated for another year, without a clear plan for continuous service, is particularly troubling.
De Armas rightly criticises this approach as short-sighted and inadequate. Relying on temporary extensions rather than developing a comprehensive strategy leaves Georgetown vulnerable to potential crises if contractors decide to withdraw their services.
What is needed now is not just intervention from the central government but a complete overhaul of how waste management is approached in Georgetown. A strategic plan that addresses both financial and operational aspects must be prioritised.
This includes restructuring the council’s finances to ensure that sufficient funds are allocated to essential services such as waste collection, rather than being consumed by an inflated payroll.
The residents of Georgetown deserve better than this ongoing neglect and mismanagement. As we head into a season that should be filled with joy and celebration, it is disheartening to see our capital city struggling under the weight of its own waste.
The time has come for City Hall to take decisive action—before we find ourselves buried under even more garbage.
