Georgetown : The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development handed over 10 swing-fog machines to Regions One, Two, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten and the Georgetown Municipality. Region Three is already in receipt of its fogging machine.
The machines were procured by funds approved by the Cabinet and forms part of the regional aspect of the cleanup programme that is currently being spearheaded by the Local Government Ministry. They were purchased from Farfan and Mendes Limited at the cost of $420,935 each.
A repaired compactor truck belonging to the Georgetown City Council was also handed over to Town Clerk (ag), Carol Sooba. The truck is only one vehicle from the list of priority areas that was identified by the Council. In the coming weeks, as repairs are completed more vehicles and other equipment will be handed over to the Council.
Aggregately, the cost of rehabilitation works (mainly electrical) on the compactor truck and the procurement of the fogging equipment amounted to approximately $5.6M.
Speaking at a brief handing over ceremony yesterday, in the compound of the Ministry’s Kingston Office, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker said that the cross-sector collaboration with regards to the cleanup programme is progressing well. In fact, members of the programme’s planning and implementation committee are drawn from the various sector ministries.
The Ministry is very keen on the sustainability of the programme and as such, has sought to find ways and means by which it can empower local government authorities to ensure that once the allocated $1B is exhausted, the results are sustained in the City, as well as throughout the 10 regions.
This is precisely why the Ministry had committed to assist the City Council to fix some of its broken machinery and equipment since it recognises that the council has an integral role to play in sustaining the work that is done under the programme.
Minister Whittaker said that there is an enveloping fear in the Ministry and among other stakeholders that efforts are afoot to sabotage the cleanup programme and what it seeks to achieve.
“There is a fear that there is an attempt to sabotage our efforts to keep equipment in working order so that they can do the work that they are expected to do. There is a fear among staff at the workshop at Princes Street that their efforts to keep machines, especially compactor trucks are being sabotaged for reasons only the saboteurs could say,” the Minister said.
He nevertheless urged those working towards the success of this nationwide campaign to not be daunted and to redouble their efforts to ensure that the objectives of the programme, which is a cleaner, healthier environment for all citizens, to be achieved.
With regards to the fogging machines, the Ministry has received the commitment of the business community, particularly miners, in hinterland villages that they will assist in the procurement of chemicals to be used in the fogging exercise.
The Local Government Ministry is working in collaboration with the Health Ministry to devise a scheduled programme for the use of the machines, so that fogging is not done in a haphazard fashion.
The truck will aid in the collection of solid waste mainly at La Penitence, and the Bourda and Stabroek Markets, while the private contractors will continue to focus on the various wards. Minister Whittaker said that effective garbage collection and installation of receptacles will enhance the state of the market areas in the City.
You must be logged in to post a comment.