NSWMA Up To Date With Audited Financial Statements

Chairman of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Dennis Chung, says the agency is now up to date with its audited financial statements.

Speaking during a recent press briefing at the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development in Kingston, Mr. Chung said this was one of the agency’s major objectives for 2019.

Noting that the entity was nine years behind on its financial statements, he said the organisation is now fully up to date in this regard in relation to all aspects of its operations.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chung advised that some 43 new garbage trucks were added to the Authority’s fleet over the past three years to boost solid-waste disposal.

“Next year, we are supposed to get another 100 trucks in the system… the first ever that we are getting so many trucks over a short period of time,” he informed.

The Chairman also indicated that for the first time in the NSWMA’s history, three of the eight disposal sites under its jurisdiction have received environmental permits. These include the two largest, at Riverton in Kingston and Retirement in St. James.

In the meantime, he said new regulations pertaining to improper garbage disposal are coming, pointing out that the “fines are significant”.

Mr, Chung further advised that the NSWMA is developing a whistle-blower policy, which it hopes to implement in early 2020.

He pointed out that this arrangement will empower employees to “call an independent place and report anything that they think is wrong with the organisation”.

Additionally, the Chairman said work is now under way to develop and implement a sexual harassment policy within the agency.