Minister

of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, says by the

end of the week, several communities will be cleared of garbage caused by

recent heavy rains.

The

Minister, who spoke at the handover of two garbage compactor trucks, valued more

than $50 million, to the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) by

the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), said that while the rains were

welcome, they posed a huge challenge to infrastructure and the collection and

disposal of garbage in many communities.

The

ceremony was held at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Andrew on October

22.

McKenzie

said that he had dialogue with the leadership of the NSWMA, and an “assurance

was given that by the end of the week there will be a significant reduction in

the pile-up of garbage across sections of the country.”

He also

disclosed that more than $100 million has been approved for the construction of

a bridge that will improve access to the Riverton Landfill, as the current

bridge needs to be replaced.

The Minister pointed out that plans are “far advanced” to purchase 100 trucks for the NSWMA, which will be the largest one-time purchase of garbage-collection vehicles for the agency.