As part of an ongoing Central Government support programme for all municipalities throughout Guyana, the Communities Ministry on Thursday donated a new $45 million garbage truck to the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC).
The truck is expected to boost the municipality’s continued effort in relieving the capital city of solid waste. “Earlier in the life of this administration, a few other compacted trucks were provided to the council. We are very aware of the enormous challenges that the council is faced with as far as its revenue based is concern, and that in the absence of realistic valuations and revaluation of properties in the city that your revenue based is compromised and challenged, and it is for this reason that the Central Government is forced in the interim to step in and to provide much critical support by way of this equipment and other forms of assistance,” Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan was quoted as saying by the Department of Public Information (DPI) at the official handing over ceremony, in the compound of the M&CC on Thursday afternoon.
A DPI report said Mayor of Georgetown Ubraj Narine received the keys to the truck and he was urged to ensure that proper systems and safeguards are established for qualified operators and maintenance.
“We have already supplied tractors and skip lift trailers as well as skip bins to each of our other nine municipalities. Currently, a further ten trailers are in the process of being acquired for delivery. This again represents our ongoing support by the central government to our local government organs,” Bulkan said. “This administration believes in empowering our local communities and we recognised that given the extended neglect that was paid to local government organs, that in this period of transition and rebuilding that we are in, it requires an extra support on the part of central government,” he added.
Narine, the report said, welcomed the donation and assured that the garbage truck will be used to improve the lives of residents. “I am grateful to the Ministry of Communities and central government for this wonderful machine, which will be of great benefit not for the City Council, but most importantly the citizenry of Georgetown,” he was quoted as saying.
