The Ministry of Communities yesterday signed an $11.8M contract with Samuel Wright, an environment management consultant from Linden, for public consultations on a draft national solid waste management strategy.
The contract was signed by Permanent Secretary of the ministry Emil McGarrell and Wright in the conference room of the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill at Eccles, East Bank Demerara.
The contract is for six months, during which Wright will publicly consult with communities across the ten administrative regions on solid waste management.
A release from the Ministry of Communities explained that the deliverables include a report on the public consultations, an updated national solid waste management strategy, a regional solid waste management plan and templates for monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the regional plans.
The release said that the draft national strategy was developed under the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme, which was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Guyana with assistance of an international consultant.
In developing the draft strategy, the release noted, the consultant would have to consult with stakeholders across Guyana, including municipalities, Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Institute of Applied Science and Technology.
It is recommended that the draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy would take into consideration nationwide consultation with all stakeholders so that the input of civil society can be incorporated into the final document before its ratification by Cabinet said the release.
During the signing, Wright said the policy would recommend ways in which there can be waste reduction and recovery and the necessary infrastructure needed to undertake the job. He urge residents to attend the consultations to make inputs into the strategy.
According to Wright, the public input is necessary since every region experiences different solid waste management issues. He explained that in order for every region to have a plan suitable in place, the inputs of residents are necessary.
