$1 Billion Clean up Campaign to be launched

Faced with an almost out of control garbage problem in the nation’s capital and in several parts of the country, the Government has announced its intention to launched an ambitious clean up campaign programme which will mainly focus on Georgetown and coastal areas.

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh on Monday announced the allocation of $1 Billion for a national clean up campaign. The campaign “Clean up my Country” will address the collection and removal of garbage as well as the reporting of residents who irresponsibly dispose of their garbage.

During his budget presentation in the National Assembly, Dr. Singh said “citizens, businesses and institutions will be tasked with ensuring that their garbage is properly discarded in appropriate receptacles. Efforts will be made to enlist the support of the private sector and other institutions to assume greater involvement in helping to maintain the environment in which they operate”.

He noted that while the support and involvement of businesses and households alike will be required to ensure the success of this initiative, Government will allocate the sum of $1 billion to this Clean Up My Country initiative, of which the sum of $500 million will be dedicated to immediate efforts to clean the capital city.

“The national public health hazard that this presents especially in the face of emerging diseases can no longer be ignored. Notwithstanding the statutory responsibility of the local government bodies for maintaining the environment in our communities and neighbourhoods it is visibly evident that they have failed in the discharge of this basic duty”, the Finance Minister said.

He said “Government can no longer stand by in hope, waiting in vain for comatose local government bodies to address this problem.”

The Georgetown City Council and other councils across the country have been pressing the administration for more funding to assist with the development of their communities.