Gov’t to Review Operations of National Solid Waste

The government is taking steps to improve the performance of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), which is responsible for sanitation and beautification.

A Cabinet team, along with the NSWMA, reviewed the challenges faced by the Authority and discovered certain irregularities in the payment to service providers.

As a result, the NSWMA is facing a debt of about $40 million, which has led to the need for several measures to bring the organization back to a sustainable position. 

However, the government is committed to assisting the NSWMA in achieving its mandate.

To this end, negotiations are underway with service providers for a fifty percent write-off of the total debt owed to them, and the Authority is putting measures in place to collect all outstanding tipping fees for use of the landfill.

The Board of the NSWMA will also require all service providers to meet with the Inland Revenue Department, the Medical Benefits Scheme, Social Security, and the Board of Education, to ensure that all statutory deductions owed to these agencies are deducted from the amounts owed to service providers.

Moreover, the NSWMA will purchase three additional trucks to augment garbage collection, and the office of the Financial Secretary will engage in discussions with the NSWMA to identify shortcomings in its operations and suggest ways in which the agency can become more efficient.

A report will be submitted to the Cabinet in two weeks.

By taking these measures, the government hopes to help the NSWMA function at an optimal level, which is critical to the health and wellness of the people, and ensure that the Authority achieves its mandate while getting value for money.