SWMCOL to award new garbage contracts

Last November, Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein revealed there were garbage contractors holding citizens to ransom with poor service and he had arranged for the intervention of the Solid Waste Management Co Ltd (SWMCOL).

And now, SWMCOL is taking steps to award new contracts, chief executive officer Ronald Roach told Sunday Newsday last week, assuring citizens can expect a much more efficient garbage collection service.

At a Diego Martin Regional Corporation (DMRC) meeting in November, Hosein reported he had taken a note to Cabinet two months before to deal with garbage collection and engaged SWMCOL, which is under the Public Utilities Ministry, to take up the mantle and hire contractors, but it had to be done with the 14 regional corporations. “I have been around this country in every corporation, and the garbage problem is terrible. Contractors, as some of you all said, are taking citizens to ransom,” Hosein had commented.

At the meeting alderman Sigler Jack said for almost two years the corporation had been promised new contractors to pick up garbage but, with the Christmas season, the garbage would increase tenfold and they had serious problems with the current contractors.

Roach, in a Sunday Newsday follow-up, said SWMCOL expects the full process, including the award of new contracts, would be completed by the end of March.

He explained SWMCOL’s role was to arrange the procurement process on behalf of the Local Government Ministry and manage the process of inviting tenders, evaluation and recommendations for the award of contracts. Enforcement of the contracts will be the responsibility of local government and the corporations, he said, but SWMCOL’s role will remain project management–providing technical guidance on performance and monitoring the service.

“At the end of the day we expect to have better functioning waste collection system leading to a cleaner society.”

Roach recalled that from 2009 to 2016, SWMCOL had undertaken the same exercise but in 2016 it was turned over to the National Insurance Property Development Co Ltd but “arrangements did not work out” and it was therefore returned to SWMCOL. “And that comes back to the original mandate when SWMCOL was formed (which was) to be responsible for all aspects of waste management including collection, recycling and disposal.”

On the issue of “bad” contractors who would not pick up garbage on assigned days, Roach said this is a reality that did not happen often and the new contracts would ensure it never does. The intention is to ensure a cleaner society where garbage is picked up at allocated times, contractors are on site and there is back-up equipment which can be brought in to prevent the service from being disrupted. Roach said in areas where service is not provided at allocated times, garbage ends up on the streets and stray dogs make a mess. This problem arises when contractors experience a breakdown in their fleet and do not have back-up equipment, he explained.

“These are things you want to avoid by having a tighter contract and ensure contractors adhere to terms and conditions.”

In November, Hosein had said chairmen and councils would source contractors from their districts and not externally. In response, Roach said the tender document would address this condition but the question of available contractors had to be considered.

“We have to still see how it works out in practice. If we have contractors from (within the) community it will serve the objectives we are trying to meet.” However, Roach pointed out cleanliness starts at the household and community level and they also have a role to play.

Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte, in a comment to Sunday Newsday, said the decision to give the mandate to SWMCOL is in keeping with local government reform and getting decisions closer to the community.

He said SWMCOL would have taken on board all of the concerns, criticisms and measures for improvements.

“They are very mindful to give an improved and more responsive service to the people of Trinidad and Tobago especially in the area of garbage collection.”

Le Hunte said Government is conscious of constraints but is working on getting an efficient system that is widely distributed.