Minister Timothy calls for Solid Waste Corp. to be less dependent on gov’t Minister
Dominica News Online - Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 at 8:48 AM
Minister Julius Timothy. * Photo credit: dominica.gov.dm
Minister of Health Julius Timothy wants the Solid Waste Corporation to implement strategies that will generate income in order for the company to be less dependent on government.
Timothy, who addressed the opening ceremony for the corporation’s week of activities yesterday, called for a revamp of the corporation, which would include better pay and equipment for staff, along with improved professionalism.
“The time has come for the Dominica Solid Waste Corporation to become more entrepreneurial in its operations, by implementing strategies to generate income and thus reducing dependence on central government. However, government will continue to make the required investments to enhance the future development of solid waste management,” he said.
Timothy said the employees play an important role to society.
“From a human development standpoint the time has also now come when we must look at our employees in a different light. The staff members must be looked at with dignity and people must understand that they are playing a vital role in our society,” he said.
“Firstly, the staff at Solid Waste must be better paid. Secondly, they must be well equipped. Thirdly, they must be well supervised so that they do the work professionally and not decide that something has fallen along the road and they do not see it fit to pick it up,” the minister stated.
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11 Comments
I only noticed this now, two years later but I would have liked to tell Mr. Timothy that when solid Waste Corporation was installed, the 1.5% Levy tabled in Parliament was for solid waste purposes, so give them the money at the end of the month to do the work, why should they tax people again when we are already paying the levy.
Privatize it then!!!!
I am from Loubiere, and it’s two weeks we were asked to put out white trash, and where’s the white trash today???… still lined all along our roads.
yesterday morning, before the cruise ship hailed in, just before Louisville, there was trash littered all over….
I stopped to pick some up it was sooo embarrassing…
So who ever, somebody needs to get their act together, or work together
@britbob: Yes everyone in the community should be taxed with the cleanliness of their community. When they go overseas they comply with the rules and regulations there and they don’t litter at all. Persons should manage their gabbage since they are the one who generate the garbage. One has the options of choosing what they use at their homes etc. For example KFC has bins in their place for placing the gabbabe. If you eat there at the establishment, then place your garbage in the bins provided. If you choose to go with your food then you are provided with a (free) plastic bag, so carry your garbage and use this plastic to add more of your household garbage. Place your garbage in a covered receptacle until the DSWMC’s designated pickup day. Do not litter, do not littter the bayfront, the streets and all over the city and the roadside when moving on the buses. Also remember the bus mini bin provided is not for your KFC garbage. It is for small paper – sweets etc (small). The Bus driver does not work for DSWMC so he is not there to collect your KFC bag (You are the one who chose to take away the meal), nor your MT juice styrofoam glasses nor MT beer/plastic bottles. You chose to go home with it. So use your free bag at home. Keep the landscape and environment clean and free of plastic bottles, plastic bags/bottles.
The new way to go ban styrofoam cups, plates, glasses etc, plastic bags, and J E Nassief set the pace … No plastic bags … Put the red/blue bags for sale at the cash registers or front. So customers can be charged for the bags. They have a reusable bag and you have gotten rid of that nuisance plastic – flying together with styro and blown up bottles.
Let move forward as the song says forward we go.
Eh Daddy Chess add some more lyrics and use as our theme song – for solid waste management in our country. Let us each play our part to have a clean and green Dominica.
@40 and loving it: I cannot agree with you more. That should have been done long time. People expect to have their garbage picked up but very few want to pay. If they i8mplement this strategy then Solid Waste will be able to collect enough money to be able to give the Sanitation workers a better pay for their invaluable work.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Solid Waste should be joined with Dowasco…pay your waste, sewage and water rates in one package.
FUWP why the resentment towards Wiltshire?. This type of engagement is so counter productive. You are clearly agreeing with what anonymous is saying but anonymous is expressing the very same thoughts of Wiltshire. It takes maturity to dispel personal feelings for rational thinking.
Anonymous I agree with you 1 hundred percent. The government need to implement legislations that would allow the DSWC to exist as an independent entity. It would seem therefore that the government need to have a plan.
The the strongest impetus to greater quality and efficiency is competition. The question is .. can the government create a situation where it is viable for more than one solid waste company of adequate size and expertise to exist in Dominica at the same time?. Are they able to create a system under which local authority taxes allocated to refuse collection are left with the customer so as to pay competing companies?. Can landfill management (necessarily centralised) be separated from collection (better privatised) in Dominica? Are Dominican going to be tasked with taking more responsibility for the standards of cleanliness of their communities? These are the questions Timothy must answer before dangling the carrot of better pay and conditions in front of DSWMC staff . Otherwise he is simply playing politics.
Anonymous, I love your thought process…Great post.
But you killed it when you introduced Wiltshire
@Anonymous: I really like the sentiments that you expressed. It is absolutely true that there are some things that the public and private sectors are willing to pay for as it relates to solid waste management. there are places that i have driven past where i have seen old refridgerators, cookers, mattresses and beds. some areas or people do not have the means to dispose of these things and I am sure they would be willing to pay a fee to a company providing this service; especially if it can be done at their disposal. I see a potential here for further employment, a chance for employees to get more advanced training into this type of business. Sanitation, after all, is one of the most vital parts of this ‘Going Green’ era.
I like these sentiments Mr. Minister. Now let’s see you (government) follow through with actions that will facilitate that evolution.
You know the other day I was having a discussion with a few friends about this very thing. I was saying I would like to see DSWC become a full fledge waste management company, providing more than just household garbage collection services. Develop services targeted specifically at the private sector; construction, manufacturing, wholesalers/retailers. These people have peculiar needs beyond the general public that they will pay money for.
But we also need legislation that is enforced(with fines and penalties); placing obligation for timely proper disposal of commercial/non household garbage upon these private entities and individuals. Then will utilizing the paid services of a waste disposal company be a VIABLE alternative. Trust me having ready-made services available is very enticing over having to go through the logistics of doing it yourself (time, equipment, human resource).
Recycling services also need to be expanded. This can be costly, but exploring a joint venture with a private company is a good way to go. Then to get businesses and individuals in the recycling habit will not happen overnight. But over time, with education and and phased in enforcement, we in Dominica will get with the program and develop a recycling culture.
And this is not just for the state owned corporation. But these are opportunities for private individuals to get into the commercial waste disposal/management business.
I recently heard Mr.Wiltshire say that we aspire to become the “Nature Island of the WORLD.” So to that end, it’s time we take waste disposal/management to the next level.
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