NSWMA cry for resources a stab in the dark – report
Published:Wednesday | July 27, 2022 | 12:12 AM
The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) often clamours for more resources to run its operations, but Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis has found that what the agency needs to operate effectively has not been quantified.
According to Monroe Ellis, the NSWMA has asserted that insufficient resources have negatively impacted its waste management activities.
However, she said that the state-owned entity did not provide evidence that it conducted a comprehensive needs analysis to accurately quantify the gap between the resources it gets from the Government and what is required to operate effectively.
Another significant finding from a performance audit by the auditor general is that the NSWMA did not implement and maintain an effective fleet management system. The agency could not furnish information on vehicle maintenance, operational efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of its waste-collection trucks.
Total funding of the NSWMA over the last five years amounted to $32.5 billion, of which $28.9 billion represented Government subvention (net), with more than half of the amount ($17.5 billion) coming from property tax.
And over the last five years, the NSWMA paid $5.5 billion to contractors under its special projects and seasonal works programme.
Special projects and seasonal works include desilting (street sweeping and cleaning) activities to remove sanding materials, bushes, and debris from roads and sidewalks as part of NSWMA’s public cleansing activities.
However, Monroe Ellis said that the NSWMA did not implement adequate control procedures to ensure that the works were, in fact, executed and at the agreed standard.
“Consequently, there was a high risk of expenditure not being accompanied with value and the system being manipulated by individuals with ill-intent,” she noted.