Cabinet promises review of Solid Waste as residents wait weeks for garbage collection, and the UPP says seeing is believing

While the Cabinet is promising a full review of the National Solid
Waste Management Authority’s contracting arrangements, the
United Progressive Party (UPP) is not optimistic that the agency’s
fortunes will change anytime soon.
 
For several months now, the Authority has been making excuses and
apologies for its delays in garbage collection, and its promises to
correct the situation have not been realized.

As recently as Monday, October 30, a Herberts Estate resident
reported that a group of neighbours had pooled their money and
hired a truck to remove their garbage on Sunday, as they were going
into their fourth week without collection.

In the meantime, the homeowner told the Eye on the Issues host,
ants, worms, roaches, rats and dogs had made a mess of the area,
forcing her to go out into the rain to undertake a clean-up.
Now, the Cabinet says an audit is needed to ensure the Authority is
achieving its mandate – which is to provide critical sanitation
services to Antigua and Barbuda.
 
But Damani Tabor, the UPP’s public relations officer, says the Party
is not holding its breath on this promise; after all, similar statements
were made earlier this year during the annual budget presentation.
 
He asserts that the Gaston Browne Administration does nothing but
repeat promises while the people suffer and the country is filthy and
smelly. And, he adds, it is the Government’s failure to pay sub-
contractors that is worsening the situation of late garbage collection.

Reportedly, the Ministry of Finance has been asked to assist Solid
Waste to streamline its arrangements for reducing arrears to
contractors.

The aim, Cabinet says, is to eliminate any excessive service contracts
and to coordinate waste-management activities with other
government agencies, including the St. John’s Development
Corporation and the Central Board of Health.
 
Additionally, three trucks are to be purchased to augment the
Authority’s garbage-collection capacity.