Garbage collectors withdraw service from city

Jun 22, 2010 News

Waste Disposal contractors, Puran Brothers Waste Disposal Service, Cevon’s Waste Management Incorporated, and Crawler and Wheeler Waste Disposal Service, yesterday made good on their threat to withdraw their services from the Georgetown municipality.
Municipal Public Relations Officer, Royston King, confirmed this state of affairs yesterday, even as he underscored that “it is regrettable that to date the council is unable to make the necessary payments to the contractors.”
It was just last week that the contractors had emphasised their concern by stating that they were collectively prepared to suspend waste disposal service in the city.
The contractors are together owed $75M which the municipality has so far been incapable of raising to settle a three-month-old debt.
Last week, the contractors refused a payment of $12M, having collectively asserted that if they accepted the meagre payment it will in no way help to improve their ability to continue to service the waste disposal needs of the city.
The contractors contend that they are in such a financially deprived state that they are currently unable to procure the needful resources, the most crucial being fuel, to continue removing the generated waste.
Reports are that the contractors will not resume work unless they are afforded a substantial payment of the monies owed to them. “They (contractors) said that the amount that we can pay them now wouldn’t make a difference in actually rendering waste disposal service beyond this weekend because they are without the basic resources to provide collection. But we are pleading for their understanding and patience,” King added.
According to him, yesterday, council was working assiduously to garner enough money to pay the contractors as well as to honour its other financial obligations, including the payment of wages and salaries.
In the meantime, King said that the municipality continues to target defaulting property owners who have failed to insure the integrity of their accounts.
“We are continuing to talk to those people and corporations that owe us large sums to liquidate their arrears.”
He said that efforts are being made to look at the core services being offered by the municipality to re-examine where there are inefficiencies in a bid to eliminate them even as attempts are intensified to garner revenue.
According to King, the municipality is very much aware that it is considerably indebted to the contractors and therefore will engage every possible measure to uncover revenue to make urgent payments.
In this regard, he said that some 28,000 demand notices have already been served to defaulting property owners even as the support of the judicial system is being engaged.
“We are urging all defaulting property owners to come forward and make their payments urgently. We are looking at every possible area to find funds because we know that waste disposal service is a necessity in the city.”
According to King, the municipality will be willing to work out payment arrangements with the defaulting rate payers in an effort to ensure that they honour their civic responsibility.
And even as it gears to garner funds, King said that the municipality has started to mobilise its own resources to provide temporary collection in the main commercial areas in the city.
These, according to King, will include the abattoir, hospitals and the municipal markets. Additionally, he said that the city administration is also contemplating providing clearance to a few wards in the city.
“The Mayor and City Council continues to ask citizens for their understanding and patience during this period when it is faced with this critical financial challenge.”
Among the areas that will be affected due to the suspended waste collection from today are: Kitty, J and K Campbellville, Newtown, Kitty, West Ruimveldt, South Ruimveldt Gardens, East Ruimveldt, Werk-en-Rust, Wortmanville, Belvoir Court, Prashad Nagar, Jacksonville Waterfront (Housing Scheme), North Ruimveldt, North and South Cummingsburg Waterfront, Lacytown, Robbstown, Bourda, Alberttown, Kingston, South Ruimveldt Park and Lodge. From tomorrow too areas including A-D Campbellville, La Penitence, Sophia, Blygezight, Lodge Housing Scheme, Shirley Field Ridley Square, Lacytown, Bel Air Promenade, Bel Air Park, Thorens Drive, Century Palm Gardens, Roxanne Burnham, Gardens and Guyhoc Gardens.

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Garbage collectors withdraw service from city

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