The government has invested close to $2 million in electric bikes to strengthen monitoring of garbage collection services across Georgetown, as part of broader efforts to improve sanitation and waste management in the capital.
At a media conference on Thursday, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand said the e-bikes will help community service officers monitor and ensure those contracted to collect garbage carry out their duties.
The minister told journalists that the ministry is also strengthening its approach to bulky waste collection, with the programme reinstated approximately one month ago in collaboration with the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC).
Under the initiative, 15 contractors have been engaged in each constituency, with additional contractors assigned to larger constituencies, to remove accumulated bulky waste from communities.
The programme is expected to cost approximately $78 million annually and will target waste that has accumulated in several areas over the years.
Minister Manickchand believes improving garbage collection requires greater accountability and more effective management of existing resources, particularly in ensuring contractors deliver the services for which they are paid.
She noted that the M&CC currently spends approximately $500 million annually on garbage collection, stressing that the issue is not necessarily a lack of funding, but the need for proper management and enforcement of contractual obligations.
The ministry is in the final stages of preparing a draft National Solid Waste Management Bill, alongside a five-year action plan to guide the country’s approach to solid waste management.
According to the minister, the proposed legislation will address enforcement challenges, including identifying the relevant authorities responsible for processing and prosecuting offences related to improper waste disposal.
The minister explained that while the immediate initiatives are focused on Georgetown, the ministry intends to develop a waste collection and disposal model that can eventually be adapted and implemented in all municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).