I am pleased with the progress
GIVEN THE active commentary that has taken place in Jamaica over the past few years about the management of solid waste and its effect on the environment, it is important to recognise how important Solid Waste Day is.
As we celebrate Solid Waste Day and highlight the importance of proper solid waste management through our various activities, it is important to reflect on the critical role we have as an organisation. The NSWMA has, in the past, come under criticism for the management of solid waste, and justifiably so in some instances. We recognise the important function we have in ensuring a clean and healthy Jamaica, and it is one that we take very seriously. This is, of course, evidenced by the steps we have taken in recent times to put measures in place to improve the service delivery to the people of Jamaica who are our customers. I am pleased with the progress the organisation has been making, even while we recognise that we have a lot more to do and we must continuously work to improve our service delivery, despite the resource constraints we have been operating with.
We recognise that our role in ensuring a healthy and clean Jamaica is tied to the need to deliver excellent service to the Jamaican people through providing the most efficient collection of residential and commercial waste, and ensuring that there is strict adherence to the proper disposal of waste through collection and enforcement.
BEYOND WASTE COLLECTION
We are aware that proper service delivery goes way beyond just the collection of waste, but also the deportment of our front-line workers who are out there every day to ensure our streets are clean. While we recognise the role we play in the collection and management of solid waste, we also want to impress on the citizens the important role you also have in your own attitude to the proper disposal of solid waste. We therefore see these roles of the NSWMA and the citizens as closely intertwined and unable to function efficiently without each other. Once again, on behalf of the board and management, I am delighted to formally recognise Solid Waste Day as an important day to reflect on what we all must do to contribute to an efficient system of solid waste collection and management, so that we can all benefit from a cleaner and healthier Jamaica. DENNIS CHUNG Chairman, NSWMA