50 new garbage trucks coming to Jamaica soon, says PM

WITH TIMELY GARBAGE collection a major concern in sections of Jamaica, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that the Government is preparing to secure 50 new garbage trucks to complement the current fleet manned by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).

He made the announcement during a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Central Executive council meeting at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St James on Sunday, where he also gave an update on plans to turn waste into a renewable energy source.

“We have bought and brought in new trucks, but it was just not enough, and last year we should have brought in another set, 100 trucks, but the resources that were dedicated to that had to be diverted into the pandemic management. To take the funds and put it into the management of COVID-19 meant that the 100 trucks we had on order, we just couldn't do it (complete the purchase),” Holness told the meeting.

“This year we have 50 trucks coming, they are on order, and hopefully you will start to see some coming in before the year is out, and that will help in the collection of waste.”

He added, “We are now in the final stages of developing a new framework for waste management in Jamaica which will see the introduction of waste-to-energy, meaning we are now going to be able, once this is implemented, to convert the waste that we see into electricity, and in the coming weeks we will be speaking about how we are going to treat with that.”

The prime minister also instructed the members of parliament (MPs) in attendance to prioritise garbage clean-up in their respective divisions ahead of Jamaica's 60th Independence celebration.

“We cannot be celebrating our 60th anniversary and the country is not clean, so resources have been made available to MPs at the parish level and to the NSWMA. It is absolutely important that the clean-up projects be visible and be meaningful,” said Holness.

“I want every constituency to find those areas, those illegal dumps, those places where people make it a custom to throw their garbage, those open lots that are overgrown and filled with solid waste, and get the trucks in, get your tractors and backhoes in, get your workers out and clean up the place for Independence.”

Garbage collection has been a recurring source of contention for residents across Jamaica, with some communities complaining that the NSWMA has not been collecting their waste in a timely manner.

The issue of waste management has been a thorn in the sides of some municipal corporations as well, with the St James Municipal Corporation constantly fighting to address local incidents of illicit dumping and the St Catherine Municipal Corporation taking the NSWMA to task for not collecting waste in the Spanish Town area.

In the meantime, Holness pledged to decommission the St Andrew-based Riverton City dump, which has been the site of several fires over the past few years with the most recent incident taking place last week Tuesday.

“I gather there was a fire at Riverton City which was brought under control very quickly, but in our 60th year (of Independence) we will be able to say that it is our intention to decommission the Riverton City dump, and you are going to be hearing more about that,” said Holness.

“You are also going to hear about the divestment of the collection of garbage, which will mean we will now be bringing in private sector know-how and private sector management to collect garbage. The NSWMA will therefore focus on its real role, which is that of regulator.”

He added, “From a high level that is where we are, and it has taken far too long, as I announced we would be doing this in 2016 and we are just at the point where we will be able to make the practical announcement.”

- Christopher Thomas

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