A parliamentary committee is recommending that the Solid Waste Management Company (SWMCOL) be redesigned to be more business-oriented with private sector investment.This is among the recommendations of the ninth report of the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on ministries, statutory authorities and state enterprises (Group 2).It was laid in the Senate on Tuesday.
The JSC said: The current business model is obsolete and needs to be redesigned to turn waste disposal into a business opportunity."It added that the new approach would "encourage private investment and in the long-term reduce the level of Government subvention to SWMCOL."The committee also recommended oversight for the company's procurement arrangements.
The report said although officials at the company may have the competence to conduct competent evaluations in the area of procurement "there is clear absence of independent oversight and monitoring mechanisms," adding that "SWMCOL's tendering rules and procedures are only reviewed and accepted by the board of directors."
It noted that mechanisms should be established to improve the level of transparency in procurement at the state-owned company.On the issue of the disposal of medical waste, the JSC said the offering of technical and specialist advice on a requested basis was not sufficient to alleviate the existing problem of improper disposal of bio-medical waste.
It said: "Significant technological improvements are needed to all pathological incinerators used at hospitals throughout Trinidad and Tobago."It said a better managed system must be developed, especially as the number of clinics and hospitals increased in the country.Also required was "an element of monitoring these facilities to ensure protocols are being carried out efficiently," it added.
The JSC recommended that urgent steps be taken by public and private health institutions and Regional Health Authorities for "a more scientific and best-practice approach to medical waste throughout the country."
