LOCAL GOVERNMENT SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 WRITTEN BY: ROCHELLE WILLIAMS
Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Audley Gordon, says the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is seeking to procure 50 compactor trucks to improve garbage collection across the island.
Addressing a media briefing on September 10 at the NSWMA’s offices in Kingston, Mr. Gordon said the estimated cost for the units is approximately $1.3 billion.
He said it is anticipated that the acquisition of the new units will assist in addressing the waste collection challenges currently being experienced.
“We are behind in a lot of communities across the country. We have been getting a lot of calls and we want to assure the public that we have heard, and we are doing the best we can to remove the garbage as quickly as possible,” he noted.
He informed that the agency has put measures in place to address the backlog including increasing collections and enlisting the services of its supplementary fleet.
Board Chairman of the NSWMA, Dennis Chung, indicated that the procurement process for the 50 units is expected to take place over a six-month period.
“With the situation we have with the garbage collection now, it can be a big challenge… We ask for the understanding of the public,” he said.