Hosein: Don’t pay delinquent garbage contractors

Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein made this statement during a meeting with Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan and councillors of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation (CBC) at the Ministry’s Kent House offices, Maraval yesterday.

Told that garbage collection at Enterprise North/Esmeralda and Munroe Road/Caroni Savannah Road had not been taking place on the collection days of Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Hosein said the council had the responsibility to prevent a health hazard from taking place by the non-collection of the garbage.

He noted that over one week had passed without garbage being collected and this posed a serious hazard to public health, with animals scattering the garbage along the roadways leading to an offensive odour.

“This situation cannot continue. I am appealing to the Chaguanas Borough Corporation to ensure that this matter is corrected with immediate effect.

If a garbage contractor is not performing the duties, then they must not be paid.

Garbage collection is an essential service to the people that is provided at the level of local government, and if the work is contracted out, then the responsibility is on us as local government practitioners to ensure that it is completed.

And this should be a message to all corporations,” Hosein said.

He said residents had made numerous complaints regarding the accumulation of garbage in their communities and had also expressed concern that it would not be collected given the upcoming long weekend in observance of Easter.

Hosein promised to monitor the collection of garbage and ensure it was improved across the entire country, and that those contracted to provide these services “perform at a high standard.” Hosein said the Ministry was working towards the establishment of a system which would allow citizens to rate the services they receive from their respective corporations.