The Local Government Ministry is tendering for heavy-duty equipment including 45 tractors and 45 trailers to ensure the sustainability of its Clean-up Guyana initiative unveiled in this year’s budget.
Minister Norman Whittaker told Stabroek News yesterday that the ministry will be providing equipment to various communities throughout the hinterland. He said that many communities do not have the capabilities to address garbage collection and that part of the Clean-up Guyana campaign was to ensure that sustainability of the project was possible.
An advertisement in yesterday’s Guyana Times invited experienced bidders for the procurement of 45 tractors, 45 tipping trailers, one flat trailer, five mini excavators and one skid steer loader.
The minister stated that the skid steer loader would be used in the city of Georgetown at the three major markets to facilitate garbage collection. He noted that in recent discussions with vendors at Bourda and Le Penitence markets, vendors complained that garbage was not contained. Whittaker said that with the addition of more garbage bins and a possible relocation site for bins at the three big markets, more equipment would be needed in the future.
He explained that the tractors and trailers would be utilised by various Neighbourhood Democratic Councils that have not been part of the initiatives under the India, Brazil and South Africa facility, which recently assisted with financing for the tendering of two garbage compactor trucks, two mini excavators and 30 garbage bins on June.
Whittaker told Stabroek News that the five mini excavators would be shared amongst regions 1 and 7-10 to help with drainage. He did not elaborate on where they would be housed and what the plans were for more equipment to be purchased considering the size of the regions and the impossibility of using one mini excavator for the length and breadth of a single region.
According to the advertisement, all bid submissions are due by September 16.
The clean-up initiative was allocated $1 billion under the budget with $500 million being set aside for Georgetown specifically.
Over the past few week the initiative has moved to clean up drains in several Georgetown wards including Albouystown and West Ruimveldt. Major works are also slated for Le Repentir cemetery.
