Wednesday, September 23, 2020
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Garbage collection in the Western Parks and Markets (WPM) Waste Management Limited region, which covers Trelawny, Hanover, Westmoreland and St James, should be improved, as the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) handed over a new garbage truck today.
The truck was presented to the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) by JSIF, through its Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP), which aims to enhance access to basic urban infrastructure and social services and contribute towards increased community safety in selected economically vulnerable and socially volatile innercity communities in Jamaica.
Speaking at the ceremony, held at the NSWMA headquarters in Kingston, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Desmond McKenzie, commended JSIF for its ties with the NSWMA, noting that it is a “treasured partnership”, which has benefited the organisation significantly in terms of personnel and equipment.
“As we receive this new truck, it will be a part of the continued improvement of the fleet of the NSWMA,” the minister said.
“We have indicated that we are still in the process of securing additional trucks for the entity and once we have done so, we are promising the country that they will see significant improvement in garbage collection,” he added.
The minister stressed that citizens need to have a sense of discipline in how they dispose of their garbage, as it is not enough to just provide sufficient trucks across the island.
For his part, Executive Director of the NSWMA, Audley Gordon, expressed gratitude to the JSIF.