By Roy Sanford, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
MAYOR OF Montego Bay, Noel Donaldson, has vowed to take a 'zero tolerance' approach against merchants in the western city who breach the National Solid Waste Management Act.
The mayor's statement comes against the background of what he has described as a 'serious problem' with the disposal of commercial garbage by business entities in the city.
He was speaking after a tour of the Montego Bay business district with officials from the NSWMA last Friday.
"We are going to get to a stage where it is definitely going to be zero tolerance and that will not be long in coming," Mayor Donald-son said, after observing the illicit disposal at some of the places he visited. "Initially there are going to be 'teething pains' in enforcing the law but eventually they will be enforced."
However, Anthony Pierson, president of the St. James Street Merchants Association, said a system must first be set up in Montego Bay for merchants to dispose of their waste properly.
"Right now everything is a free for all," Mr. Pierson said. "There is no proper and established way to deal with commercial garbage."
However, in speaking to journalists after the tour, Mayor Donaldson said, based on what he saw "it is obvious that many person just put their garbage on the streets or they just give it to someone without any knowledge as to what is being done to it."
As a first step to correcting the problem, Mayor Donaldson said a meeting is set for February 23 between the merchants, the Parish Council and the NSWMA."We are going to have this meeting to make sure that people are properly informed," he stated. "We don't want to go out and have any prosecutions taking place without people having a proper and good understanding of what is happening."
NSWMA Regional Manager, Percival Stewart, who accompanied the mayor on the tour, said that fines for the improper disposal of commercial garbage range from $10,000 to $1 million.
"The law is strict, it is definite and it carries with it, its penalties," Mr. Stewart said.
Mr. Pierson said the merchants and business owners are willing to co-operate.
"You need to provide a container in such and such a location, and we will stick to the rules," he said.
