More trucks for NSWMA

The Government will be procuring an additional 50 garbage compactor trucks, including small units that can traverse narrow community roads.

In delivering the Throne Speech on Tuesday, Governor General Sir Patrick Allen said that the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) will "develop its capacity to transition to monitoring, regulating and enforcing proper waste management".

"This will include the revision of fines and offences to make them more relevant as deterrents," he pointed out.

Fifty garbage trucks were handed over by Prime Minister Andrew Holness to the agency last December, while 34 units were repaired to bolster the agency's collection capacity. The NSWMA is an agency under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

Turning to other programmes under the ministry, Sir Patrick said that through collaboration with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, three fire stations were constructed at Barnett Street in St James, Yallahs in St Thomas, and Port Maria in St Mary.

"Preparatory work continues on the construction and upgrading of other fire stations around the island," he noted.

Other projects include the completion of 25 indigent housing units in St Mary, Westmoreland, Hanover and Kingston, and night shelters in Ocho Rios, St Ann and Falmouth, Trelawny.

The upgrade of several rural water supplies was completed in Penn/Lucky Valley and Watermount in St Catherine; Top Aberdeen, St Elizabeth; Bangor Ridge, Portland; and Salt River in Clarendon.

Legislative priorities for the ministry for the new financial year include the Human Services Bill, the National Solid Waste Management (Validation, Indemnification, and Amendment Bill), the Local Governance (Amendment) Bill and the Counties and Parishes (Amendment) Bill.