| By Sharmain CornetteThe impact of the current garbage crisis in the city is likely to take full effect this week, as private contractors have decided to halt the collection of garbage from the municipal markets. This revelation was forthcoming yesterday from the management of both Cevons Waste Management Incorporated and Puran Brothers Waste Disposal Service.M&CC PRO, Royston KingAccording to information from the companies, the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown has been given 72 hours’ notice in which to act.Both companies are owed in excess of $20M for services they offered to the Georgetown municipality for the months of June,Wholesale Jerseys, July and August, as well as for half of May.Reports are that following similar strike action by the contractors in April, the municipality had encouraged them to resume their operation by paying them 50 percent of the cost that would have been incurred in May.“We returned to work on the premise that they would have paid us the second half at the appropriate time but we got nothing after that month ended and nothing till now,” said one contractor.According to the Manager of Puran Brothers his company is still to be paid a total of $375,000 for cleanup work following Mashramani and Easter activities, an amount which is included in the total owed.The management of both companies related to this newspaper yesterday that they will not resume garbage collection in the city, as the municipality is adamant that they do not have money, even though they continue to receive money from tax payers.“We can’t operate without money. Like them, we have to pay staff,Cheap NFL Jerseys, we have to maintain our equipment, otherwise we have no service to offer,” said a manager yesterday.The managers revealed that Acting Town Clerk Mrs Yonette Pluck-Cort, in a letter, had indicated that the municipality would have been ready to pay them on September 4, last, a promise that has not materialised. In the said letter,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, Pluck-Cort had urged that good sense and tolerance prevail, adding that they (contractors) provide a crucial service to the city.North Road & Camp Street“We spoke to them verbally and then we wrote to them, which we thought was the right thing to do. We did not ask them to pay up all they owe to us at one time. We just asked them for a significant amount. Usually they would give us at least a percentage when we strike, but this time around they have paid nothing,” one manager revealed.“Every time we strike they would tell the media they have paid us a high amount, but in fact it is smaller…but we try with them and would continue, but we can’t keep doing this all the time…They have to get their house in order,” another manager insisted.And since their funds are decreasing every day, the managers divulged that they will have to completely withdraw their service from the markets as well. According to the managers of both companies,China NFL Jerseys, contrary to some beliefs, although they withdrew from collecting waste generated through residential and other activities, they had continued to offer their collection service to the Stabroek and Bourda markets.The contractors have planned to halt their operation at Stabroek Market from Tuesday, a scheduled collection day. This development is likely to continue on Thursday at Bourda Market if no payment is forthcoming, the managers disclosed.Sussex & Ketley Streets, CharlestownMeanwhile, Crawler and Wheeler, another garbage contractor employed by the municipality is still optimistic that the entity will honour its obligation to pay. According to manager of that company, the municipality has defaulted on its payment by one month but has promised to pay soon. “We believe they will pay us because we have the biggest part of the work to do. We have to grade down the garbage that the others bring here if we don’t do that it is big trouble you looking at,” said the Crawler and Wheeler official.Public Relations Officer of the municipality, Royston King, in an invited comment yesterday said that based on his last discussion with the Acting City Treasurer; there is no money currently available to pay the contractors. He said that the municipality owes the contractors just about $75 M.According to the PRO, the municipality is aware of the intent of the contractors to halt their operation at the market if no money is paid. However he noted that the municipality will simply have to put systems in place to address that situation when it arises.He disclosed, though, that it is anticipated that the full effect of an amnesty initiative will be realised in the new week with the municipality being able to garner substantial funds, possibly even to pay the workers.In order to encourage defaulting property owners to fulfil their civic responsibility of paying their property taxes, King disclosed last week that a decision was taken to introduce the amnesty initiative which will see taxpayers been relieved of accumulated interest.However, this innovative service, according to King, will only be available until the last day of this month. Residents,Jerseys From China, he said, can access the service through the municipal Treasury Department. And several persons have reportedly taken advantage of the process, affording the municipality some amount of revenue which has been utilised to fulfil other financial obligations.According to King,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, the city entity, like any other entity, is committed to paying utility bills and honouring other administrative obligations. In fact, he disclosed, the municipality will soon have to find about $70M to pay September salaries.King divulged yesterday that the municipality pays close to $1M a week for the services of garbage collection and disposal, a development which the council has already started to direct much concern. “Perhaps this crisis also presents an opportunity for the city council to reflect on contractual arrangements to see if the service we pay for can’t be provided at a more reasonable rate by the council.”Since the withdrawal of the contractors, the municipality has engaged its own garbage collection team, drawn from its Solid Waste Management Department. The team has been collecting garbage from sections of central Georgetown and from schools.And until the situation is returned to normalcy, the municipality is still urging residents not to put out their refuse receptacles as they will not be picked up. However, residents will be facilitated if they transport their waste to the Le Repentir dumpsite themselves, King said.While some sections of the city remain in an acceptable condition, several areas offer unsightly evidence that a garbage crisis exists. The corner of Sussex and Ketley Street in Charlestown,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, Georgetown, is among the areas that have been converted to a dumpsite.According to King, the situation in Charlestown is not merely as a result of the garbage crisis but rather is a community problem. He revealed that it has been observed that even when there is regular garbage collection, persons in that area still prefer to dump rubbish on the corner rather than in receptacles. |
