Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
A NEW stink is emanating from the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) that has forced the Contractor General's Department to revisit the state agency.
A team led by Steve Sherman, Deputy Contractor General, will be heading back to the Half-Way Tree Road-based NSWMA within a week to probe alleged irregularities in contract figures provided to the department.
Mr. Sherman revealed that contractors solicited to sweep and collect garbage have declared that the figures quoted in the unflattering report prepared by his office on the affairs of the NSWMA are erroneous. "Basically, we will be revisiting the Solid Waste (agency) to investigate allegations of discrepancies with respect to contract sums," Mr. Sherman told The Gleaner.
Mr. Sherman was coy in his response to whether the management of the NSWMA, to thwart the efforts of his office, deliberately rendered incorrect figures. "We are going to investigate if there are discrepancies and what's the reasons," he maintained.
Mr. Sherman revealed that Minister of Local Government, Portia Simpson Miller would be alerted shortly. Currently, his office is waiting on the contractors, who have blown the whistle on this happening, to present the contracts they have signed.
"We are going to get the information from the contractors, then make a comparison with what we have and then invite an explanation," he said.
Mr. Sherman said his office has already informally indicated to Errol Greene, recently appointed head of the NSWMA, that his office will be returning to the agency. When contacted, Mr. Greene confirmed that he was aware of the intentions of the Contractor General's Department. Mr. Greene added that he is scheduled to meet with representatives from the department today to discuss the report.
