The handing over ceremony, which was held at the Best/ Klien /Pouderoyen tarmac, saw representatives of Mora/Parika, Hydronie/Good Hope, Greenwich Park/Vergenoegen, Tuschen/Uitvlugt, Stewartville/Corneila Ida, Hague/Blankenburg, La Jalousie/Nouvelle Flanders, Best /Klien/ Pouderoyen, Malgre Tout/Meer Zorgen, La Grange/Nismes, Canals Polder and Toevlugt/Patentia NDCs receiving the vehicles, along with 25, 45-gallon bins each. Wakenaam and Leguan NDCs did not receive vehicles, but they both benefited from 25 bins, each at a cost of $4,500.
Each NDC benefited from approximately $5.7M as the vehicles were procured at a cost of approximately $70M, with an individual cost of a tractor at $4.43M and a trailer at $1.25M each, and the 25 bins at $4,500 each.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Norman Whittaker presented the representatives of the various NDCs with their equipment. He also pointed out that the initiative was not an electioneering one, but that of the government’s fulfilling its promise to its people. He added that these vehicles and bins were procured under the “Clean up My Country” initiative, under the $1B allocation.
Minister Whittaker urged the representatives to ensure that they make full use of the bins and tractors, and to also ensure their full productive life span, even as he encouraged them to cater for the elderly and prioritise when distributing the bins. In addition, the minister highlighted that the ministry will soon be receiving a quantity of garbage bags, which will also be distributed to the various NDCs.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the NDCs, for the use and management of the vehicles and bins. [Extracted and modified from GINA]
