NSWMA gets 50 new trucks
Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Tuesday officially handed over 50 new trucks to National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).
The acquisition of the vehicles, valued approximately $1.3 billion, forms part of the Government’s efforts to bolster the agency’s capacity to improve garbage collection islandwide. The units include compactor, crane, tipper, and scout trucks.
Fourteen of the vehicles will be assigned to MPM Waste Management Limited; 11 to WPM Waste Management Limited; 11 to SPM Waste Management Limited; and nine to NEPM Waste Management Limited.
The remaining five compactor trucks will be allocated to the roving team, dubbed Strategically Working to Enforce and Enhance Public Cleansing Operations and Programmes (SWEEP COP).
Addressing the handover ceremony at National Heroes’ Park in Kingston, Holness said the units’ acquisition represents another milestone in the Government’s efforts to improve waste management in communities and maintain a clean and sustainable environment for all Jamaicans.
He said that the Administration has been steadily and consistently investing in improving the agency’s fleet, with 165 new garbage trucks purchased over the last eight years.
Pointing out that the vehicles were purchased with public funds, Holness said the Government has been effective and disciplined in managing the affairs of the country and positioning it for economic growth.
“We’re not borrowing this money; this is not a grant. This is a direct result of the effective and disciplined management of the economy that we are able to do this out of our own resources,” he said.
“As the economy continues to be stable, and as it continues to grow, we’re going to make a priority out of allocating the dividends of that growth to ensuring that we have the capabilities of keeping our municipalities, our townships, keeping your roads, your beaches, your parks, your markets clean. What you’re seeing here is a significant investment in keeping Jamaica clean,” he stated.