The Belize Waste Control says that it continues to have problems in collecting its garbage collection fees from the Belize City Council and that if they receive no further payment, they will have problems in paying their workers. Love News spoke with the General Manager of Belize Waste Control, George Lamb, who said that they have had to cut staff and now they simply can’t meet next week’s payroll without a payment.
George Lamb
Earlier this year, to be more exact, around August, we have been at City Council in order for them to try and make due on the outstanding arrears they have for the weekly payments for the weekly pick up of the waste from Belize City. Since then we have been receiving commitment from the Mayor but however they were unable to catch up. As a matter of fact, we are at our worst when it comes to garbage collection when working for the City Council. We had problem with previous Mayors where it would be outstanding up to 8 weeks in a rare case probably about 10 but we are like 15 weeks and counting outstanding over $700,000.”
MARION ALI
“Now when I last spoke with the Mayor he told me that he had made a payment I think a couple payments but had miss one after that about 2 weeks ago.”
GEORGE LAMB
“Basically that’s what it’s all about. He would make maybe one or two payments and then he would miss some payments.”
We also spoke with Mayor Darrell Bradley, who said that the Council is nearing the end of its slow season right now and is trying to accelerate payments.
DARRELL BRADLEY
“I’ve indicated this on many occasions, this is the concern for the City Council, we are coming to a close of the year and it is very difficult for us to meet our current expenses including the sanitation contracts most of which take up 45% of our -. I had earlier met with Paula Griffith; I had made certain indications to her at that time. Shortly thereafter we met 3 weeks of payment, making payments to them on a weekly basis. It’s the arrears that we can’t beat down; so it’s not a situation where we are missing these weekly payments; we are seeing increase in flows which usually comes in December but the months of January, February and March are high season. We fully intend to make good on our promise to them. The collection of garbage is an essential service, we need them and we are trying the best we can in terms of ensuring we are able to make multiple or in some cases triple payments to them very soon.”
But Lamb says that his company is having problems finding his workers’ payroll.
GEORGE LAMB
We are downsizing and it’s a very difficult thing to do because I have some very good workers. To release them just before the Christmas that’s real hard. We have been downsizing for the past 2 months. I think we have a revolving crew right now and that’s the system. We are trying to get workers to work for a few hours or a few days out of the week so that they could get something at the end of the week but we are not up to our full crew. We probably have about 45 or fewer workers, probably less. This week it’s probably down to about 30 workers I’m not quite sure. That’s like half; the residents are now beginning to see the impact of that. I cannot have my workers come in here and working all week and not certain if I am going to pay them. The workers certainly are not happy but they understand the position that the company has taken that we are doing our best to keep them employed where possible.”
Mayor Bradley said that the Council will be able to clear its entire sanitation debt with Waste Control in the New Year, aside from a judgment in favor of the company as well.
Darrell Bradley
No City Council has paid off anything towards this judgment. They talk about that they are having a very bad relationship with this current council for ten years but no other Mayor has paid them a cent on the 2.2 million dollar judgment they have had. We, in one year are dealing with paying off that complete judgment. Of course they gave us a write off and I can’t see how they are saying that you are having a bad relationship with us when we are paying you substantial debts that we owe you and we recognize we owe you and no other Mayor has paid you theirs and we are trying the best we can in terms of meeting you at least some way with your weekly payments and with the arrears situation and we have made commitments that we will make good on our payments to you in the early part of this coming year.”
Mayor Darrell Bradley.
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