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PM Browne: Government to Take Over Unreliable Garbage Collection Services
The government of Antigua and Barbuda is moving to take greater control of waste management, following persistent complaints about unreliable private garbage collection services. Prime Minister Gaston Browne confirmed the purchase of 10 new garbage trucks, emphasizing the need for improved efficiency and reliability.
“The problem we have with most of our garbage collectors is that they do not invest in reliable equipment,” Browne said. “Many of them have been gaming the system, sending in bills knowing that their trucks have not worked, aided and abetted by certain public officials.”
He explained that many private contractors purchase old, second-hand trucks from New York and Miami, which frequently break down, leading to piles of uncollected garbage.
“Something as basic as garbage collection, and the government is being blamed for failures caused by private operators,” Browne said. “We’ve had to intervene because these contractors charge a premium while submitting bogus bills.”
The government’s solution is to bring a significant portion of waste collection under state control, using the newly acquired trucks to ensure more dependable service.
“Clearly, some of these individuals in multiple trucks are going to be relieved of their contracts,” Browne stated. “Those with reliable services may continue, but those who have been gaming the system will be discontinued.”
He also noted that while privatization has been in place for over 30 years, the lack of oversight and failure of some operators to invest in modern equipment has led to serious inefficiencies.
With the new fleet of garbage trucks, the government aims to stabilize waste collection services and ensure cleaner communities across Antigua and Barbuda.
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What rules and regulations, checks and accountability have been put in place to ensure that the operators of these new garbage trucks do not lick them up and mash them up within 3 months?
Let me answer. NONE.
Comrades and friends will be employed and there will be no accountability. And once again our tax payers money will go down the drain.
Finally! Garbage been piling up too much in certain areas. This should have been done a long time ago.
Garbage collection was getting out of hand. Hopefully, the government can do better and keep the place clean.
If the government’s taking over, I just hope they can handle it better than the private contractors.
We need regular collection, not just one-off sweeps. This could be the solution if managed well.
Garbage collection been a mess. Ewww … I hope the government step up and actually deliver on this one.
I’ll believe it when I see it. If the government can keep up with the pace, we might actually see improvement.
Totally agree, but give them a chance to correct their short commings, then if they don’t bring down the hammer on them and their accomplices
I acknowledge this is an issue for parts of Antigua and hopefully this intervention will improve standards.
Big shout out to the very reliable, courteous & speedy team of collectors in Coolidge / Powell’s area.
“aided and abetted by certain public officials” – who shall remain unnamed as long as the labour party is in power…
The Antigua Government has always been responsible for solid Waste collection, either directly or through contract management.
The government has never relinquished its responsibility. The problem of Solid Waste Management resides in the Ministry of Health and National Solid Waste Management Authority. L
Where the supervisors and managers.
Wow, garbage system is private… That is something. So they use private contracts and work with the government as independent works? I’m curious to find out more about this system now
“Ratrifee will go for as much as we like but not for as long as we like”. Our twin island country cannot boast that we are a premium destination and there are piles of garbage all over the place because there are broken down trucks. Very unhealthy and unseemly for our country. So yes we are looking to solve this matter permanently. Let us also seriously look at other issues that affect the efficient collection of our household waste and deal with it also to achieve the lasting solution to this issue.
If we continue this approach in order to tackle problems which are clearly lack of control and proper supervision, then the government will kill the private sector in many things that they do. When putting in systems of control you need to hold people accountable. And that lack of accountability is what is at stake here. We have seen the collection of Dead Dogs by Pringle that reek of corruption. But nothing has been done, only that Pringle has lost his contract. Public Servants seem to be getting away with lots of crimes. And for whatever reason, whether UPP or ABLP government is not willing to deal with them. And this is in almost ALL ministries. There are so many unscrupulous persons working in the Public Sector, and it is costing the Taxpayers Millions of Dollars. Now we owe contractors millions of dollars for work they probably have not even performed. But who knows. Why weren’t the people that authorized the invoices from Pringle not dismissed. I mean what are we trying to address here. The bad service that these contractors provide. Well then let them lose the contract and those that are willing and able to provide good service will continue. What I think the government should have done is take those young people who are serious about providing this service and empower them. Lease or Hire-Purchase the trucks to them and deduct this from there fees every week or month. But when you bring the service back to the government you are again increasing the government’s payroll. And then you want to claim to empower the young people. Well, Mr. PM, give them the contract. Sell or lease the trucks to them. And let the staff at NSWA do their job and monitor the contractors. Another thing I can tell you will happen. The people that are employed to drive the trucks will not take good care of them. And before you know it you will have trucks sitting down waiting for parts. And we will be right back to where we started. When Stanford was asked by the then PM. Baldwin Spencer to lay off the blue-colored worker, he empowered them to become self-employed. They formed small companies and were given contracts to do the same job that they did when employed. Many didn’t have the money to buy the equipment needed and the company sold them the equipment they had on a hire purchase basis. Today many of them are now successful entrepreneurs. The contract they had with Stanford was their bread and butter. And later they went out and got other contracts. The only problem I have with many of them, they do not keep proper records. All because they do not want to hire an accountant to see their books. But if I may mention one name that is also doing lots of work for the Government. It’s Colin Harrigan the contractor. Once a Stanford Project Manager.
Once again Mr. PM. Rethink what it is you are trying to achieve and empower the young people. You can guarantee repayment of the trucks by giving them a contract. They can take that contract to the EDF, Entrepreneurial Development Funds, Office and get a loan at a low interest rate.