KINGSTON, Jamaica – The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is reviewing its operations over the last year and developing strategies to improve service delivery, at a special meeting now underway at the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston.

The meeting, which involves directors, regional managers, administrators and other stakeholders across the NSWMA’s four regions, is being held under the theme ‘Operation RESET’:

R– Review of our operations to

E– Ensure that we deliver

S– Service that is

E– Efficient and

T– Timely

Discussions are focused on human-resource capacity, commercial operations, enforcement operations, administrative functions and community relations.

Addressing the opening session, Executive Director of the NSWMA, Audley Gordon, noted that “with the new year, we think it is a great opportunity to reflect on 2024, fix what went wrong and combine this into the theme called Operation RESET, where we review our operations to ensure that we deliver a service that is efficient and timely”.

“It has all the elements to come together to fix the service and make it better,” he added.

He noted the commitment of the leadership and workers to make the service “more fit-for-purpose, more efficient and, therefore, serve our public in a more meaningful way”.

Citing improvements in human-resource capacity, Gordon said significant strides have been made over the past four to five years in terms of salary, uniforms, and job security, with 500 NSWMA staff receiving permanent positions within the entity.

Discussions concerning the pension arrangement of workers is ongoing, he noted.

“A lot is being done by the executive to try to improve conditions and we have had very good support from the Government in trying to lift the standard and, therefore, the morale of the staff of the NSWMA,” Gordon said.