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The creation of a competitive market place for the private sector in the disposal of solid waste can help to increase efficiency and reduce costs, suggests Michael Crowing, a consultant from the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB).
Crowing was speaking at a workshop on solid waste management held at City Hall on Thursday. This forum was convened in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
Crowing is one of two IDB consultants contracted to the Solid Waste Management Programme of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC). Crowing observed that in the Caribbean, waste management involved too many agencies which led to blurred lines of communication and responsibility. He found too that there was little attention paid to hazardous solid waste.
The other IDB consultant, Michael Wenburn, stated that come October 1, a new Solid Waste Department would be commissioned with its responsibilities being waste collection, waste treatment, waste recycling, community relations, data management and financial management.
Minister within the Ministry of Local Govern-ment and Regional Develop-ment, Clinton Collymore, said that the landfill to be built at Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara would be used as a pilot for solid waste management throughout the country.
He added that a consultant to perform an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the proposed site at Eccles had been identified.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Govern-ment and Regional Develop-ment, Phillip Hamilton moderated a discussion on the proposals of neighbourhood democratic councils (NDC) for collaboration in the collection and delivery of solid waste.
According to information supplied by the Ministry, many NDCs have no budgetary allocation for the removal and disposal of solid waste. As a direct result of this, there was no collection of garbage.
A total of 10.2M was allocated in 2003 for garbage disposal in various communities outside of Georgetown, either by contract or by the NDC itself. However many NDCs had no system in place.