After a nearly one-week closure, the Fond Cole sanitary landfill has officially been reopened to the general public.
The shutdown of the landfill came as a result of one business owner withdrawing his services from the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation (DSWMC), due to a pending debt that has been accumulating since 2016.
Last week Dominica News Online (DNO) reported that during an exclusive interview, the proprietor of ADA Trucking Service Limited, Asquith Bannis, revealed that as of Monday, October 3 2022, he and his team decided to withdraw the use of their heavy equipment -two excavators and a bulldozer- until a portion of the over $4 million owed to them is paid.
While garbage collection on the island was not severely affected affected by the closure, a senior member of staff at the Corporation told DNO at the time, that if the matter was not addressed by Friday, all garbage trucks on the island could be grounded, as space in the landfill was an issue.
DNO has been informed that since then, another private equipment operator was contacted and agreed to offer his service to the DSWMC.
Following the announcement of the reopening of the landfill, DNO contacted Mr. Bannis who made known that he has not received a cent of the money owed to him. He reiterated that his equipment is still at the landfill and they could immediately start using it again if the government complies and pays some of the monies owed.
During the previous interview, Bannis disclosed that maintenance of the equipment which is used to dispose of all of the trash on the island, and payment to the equipment operators, cost thousands of dollars monthly, which he has been forced to pay out of pocket.
DNO has made further attempts to contact the relevant authorities, including the minister and permanent secretary in the ministry responsible for the environment, with no success.
Open ore closed ,stop flinging your gabage in a ravine ,ore by d bay😡
We know that when the IMF made their visit a few years ago, certain recommendations were made to Dominica which included the dismantling of the Public Works Garage in an effort for Dominica to meet its financial obligations. Now we’re dealing with the partial privatization of waste removal and the landfill being temporarily closed due to alleged lack of payment. I’m no sanitation expert, but I wonder how can we maintain the “Nature Island of the Caribbean Moniker,” if we can’t adequately maintain a landfill and the proper disposal of waste, to include timely payment for said services.
When even the garbage bill is overdue, the onus is on the people themselves to throw out the thrash that they created. As sustainable development goal, go green!
Agreed. The health of the nation is important so keep the landfill open. Let the Bana.ses deal with their $4.5milliom payment issue with Laba.srite regime just the same way they walk out on the UWP and people of CB.
This is the biggest problem in Dominica- DISUNITY coupled with INSENSITIVITY.
Instead all heavy equipment owners close ranks and help their brother to recoup every cent from the merciless and ruthless Roosevelt monarchy, they collude with the dictator.
Dumb-minicans are the ones working against their best interest. Every time they undermine their brothers/sisters they give Roosevelt, his uneducated wife, and his deferential worshippers staying power to further abuse them.
Your disappointment that, once again, Dominicans have shown that they will continue to work with and support the DLP Government even though they may be unhappy with a particular situation is palpable. Doh Touffay!
Your folly knows no limits. How do you sing praises of a school drop out yet you deride a woman with a Collège degree as “uneducated?” Huh? How do you do it? And how do you rant against “disunity” yet, in a heart beat you insult and alienate the very same ones whom you wish would support your agenda?
Boss, you are a sure comic!
Well said………but for some people hypocrisy is a way of life.
That was a dumb form of defense I must say…
Your political master uses financial band aids on a daily basis to strengthen his power base and fool Dominicans. He is an utterly incompetent leader that ONLY serves himself and his cabal. Hopefully, when this Skerrit Circus finally comes to an end, he but also stupid supporters like yourself, will be held accountable. You are a disgusting creature exactly like your name sake.
i believe in days of slavery, you would be the one telling the master the plans of the revolutionaries. you would get a pat on the head and an extra dumpling in your next meal. much similar to 30 pieces of silver.
Well just win an election. Oh, I see, they won’t let you. I wouldn’t let you either, if you can be handed a labor stronghold to begin making moves to take that constituency, and you did nothing, not even support the local indi running, then I don’t think you want to win anything, except mepuis. I can understand you’re retired with lots of time to write crap on every topic, at least do some cut n paste from Google like Francisco, he gets some info in, as disjointed as it comes in, you can to o.
You definitely not living in Dominica and have no idea what the impact of the closure of landfill will have on health and sanitation. You are too busy mounted on your politically stupid high horse admiring Skeritt and his wife.