Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
Garbage contractors withdraw services again
It appears that the city of Georgetown’s refuse woes are set to start anew with garbage collectors withdrawing
The City Council’s Garbage Collection Schedule
their services once again.
In a release from the Public Relations Officer of the City Council, Royston King, it was confirmed that as of Monday August 1, 2011 garbage collectors working with the council had pulled their services from the city. The termination of service was attributed to delays in payment which were not elaborated upon by the PRO in his release.
According to sources, there are tens of millions in outstanding fees owed to garbage collectors for the period March to June 2011.
The two largest contractors, Cevons Waste Management Inc. and Puran Bros Disposal Service confirmed yesterday that they are indeed on strike. They were also unable to say when their services to the city will resume.
According to King, the delay is the direct result of the council’s narrow revenue base. He also blamed “the attitude of some property-owners,” who he said “fail to honour their civic-responsibility.”
King noted that the narrow revenue base, in particular, continues to affects the council’s general and specific operations, in the City of Georgetown, including the collection of garbage, drainage, health services and other essential municipal services to citizens. He added that the collection of garbage is an expensive undertaking. Add to that the long list of services and facilities council is expected to provide to communities. The municipality spends about one million dollars per day, to collect the city’s waste.
He stated in the release “At the moment, the council is just not in a position to pay the contractors, but the administration is making every effort to mobilize its trucks and equipment to collect garbage from certain areas.”
The fact that the council has procured two garbage compactor trucks with which it is expected to re-start its own garbage collection was also highlighted. Such an operation, King noted, will be done using a phased approach, in different sections of Georgetown.
However, there are reports, which Kaieteur News was unable to verify with Mr. King, that the Council’s financial woes may not just be the result of errant citizens who are not paying their taxes. The Central Government was fingered as owing the Council taxes for both the second and third quarters of 2011.
The Council release also included a schedule for their collection rounds. King stated that the Council is asking citizens not to put out their receptacles until further notice. Also, they are appealing to people not to indulge in illegal dumping on parapets and in drains.
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