KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie has strongly rebuked his Opposition counterpart, Noel Arscott, for his invitation, by way of a news release, to the Auditor General to investigate the operations of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).

While both the chairman and executive director of the agency have responded to Arscott’s comments, the minister stated that given the history of fuel allocation and transport management at the NSWMA, the matter is serious, and cannot be dismissed as political mischief.

In a news release Wednesday, McKenzie said “it appears that Mr Arscott has developed a most convenient bout of amnesia. It was during his tenure as minister that the Auditor General initiated an investigation into this very matter, and submitted a report to the ministry. He did absolutely nothing about the recommendations contained in that document.

“It is this administration that has been implementing the recommendations, and indeed, the executive director made that very clear last week Wednesday, when the NSWMA appeared before the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee of Parliament.”

The minister said given that the preceding facts are publicly known, he is challenging the Opposition spokesman to deny prior, full and personal knowledge of them. “He received detailed information about these irregularities at the NSWMA while he was minister, not only from the Auditor General, but from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry’s Internal Auditor. I am calling him out on this matter. Let him deny publicly that he ever received this information from these sources, and let him say that clear proposals for rectifying the situation were never presented to him. I am daring him to state that this issue occurred since this administration took office last year, and not, during his time as minister.”

McKenzie said Arscott’s utterances appear to reflect a desperate attempt at personal political survival.

“It appears that this statement was intended to attract some sort of credibility to the Opposition spokesman, given the widespread public view that with impending changes in his political party, it is highly probable that he will find himself outside of the shadow cabinet.

“I will not allow this ministry to be used as political cover for any agenda, or allow it to fall victim to misleading statements by people in positions of responsibility.

“The shortcomings at the NSWMA are of lengthy duration and have been widely published, and this administration has been working ceaselessly, with notable success, to reduce the areas of weakness and to increase the credibility of the agency,” McKenzie said.