Clarendon councillors vote down resolution to withhold NSWMA payments
Published:Monday | March 14, 2022 | 12:06 AMCecelia Campbell-Livingston/ - Gleaner Writer
Councillor for the Hayes Division, Scean Barnswell, at the monthly meeting of the Clarendon Municipal Corporation (CMC) last Thursday, moved for a resolution to withhold payments to the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) until it improved garbage college in the parish.
Citing Section 4 (1a) of the NSWMA Act “that the company shall take all steps as are necessary for the effective management of solid waste in Jamaica in order to safeguard public health, ensure that the waste is collected, transported, recycled, reused or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner, and promote safety standards in relation to such waste”, Barnswell moved the resolution that the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service withhold further payments to the NSWMA for the uncollected garbage between December 2021 and January 2022, and for failure to meet its obligation.
Although the majority of the councillors have major issues with the NSWMA, and some voicing their displeasure, the resolution was voted against nine to seven.
Councillor for the Chapelton Division Hershell Brown, while agreeing that the matter of garbage disposal needs to be discussed, said a resolution cannot be done to command the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to obey. “That’s just not possible … if we were paying, then we could do a resolution; we cannot take a decision for the Ministry of Finance. So while the idea is good, the resolution has no merit,” he noted.
However, Barnswell dismissed the sentiments as ‘his opinion’ as he noted that the CMC collects property taxes, with the funds directed at public cleansing, maintenance of community space and street lighting.
“It would be foolhardy for us to see our citizens complaining day after day since December ‘21 and we do nothing about it,” he insisted, explaining that the resolution is about indicating to service providers that the CMC will not sit idly by and allow them to pay scant regard to services.
Medical Officer (Health) for Clarendon, Dr. Kimberley Scarlett-Campbell in giving her report, said she also had issues with the garbage collection and expressed concern about leptospirosis.
Stating that garbage collection is a sore point in the parish, she stressed that it needs to be addressed.
“I have received too many calls about the poor collection even at the health facilities, so I am calling on SPM [Waste Management Ltd] to do something about that.”