CERTAINLY THERE IS GREAT BUSINESS in solid waste management in Barbados. In relation to waste to energy, the Cahill project we are talking about has not yet attracted the attention of the Town and Country Planning Department and we still have to realise that in Barbados whatever one may say, we still have processes to go through, including environmental impact assessments and getting Town and Country Planning approval.
And to the best of my knowledge that has not yet been granted, but I think that the conversation is very healthy and those who have been in discussion have a right to express their views and to shape Government policies. I give you the assurance that the Government is listening. Perhaps what the Government needs to do is to talk a bit more and get ahead of the narrative and let people know exactly what is going on.
Clearly, there is a need for us to bring clarity as to policies regarding renewable energy, not just in terms of waste generation, but certainly in terms of the tax policy that is used for those who import the items and set them up, and other relationships therein.
On the solid waste management side, though, I think what we need to stress is that it really has to start at the household level and I don’t think we have done enough education in Barbados in terms of separating garbage at the household level. When I lived up north, I used to put out plastics, paper and kitchen waste in separate containers and they would be collected at different times. I moved back to Barbados, continued that, but then you realise it is the same garbage truck that collects everything and takes it to a landfill. I think we have to do better in terms of education at the household level, but in as much as we would give one another, the reality about it is that we have come a very, very long way in Barbados in terms of solid waste management. Gone are the days when we just took everything and put in the landfill, I think we are doing quite well now in terms of recycling, but it does not mean that we have to rest on our laurels.
I think, certainly, I can go back and say to my colleagues that we really have to bring clarity as to policies regarding solid waste management. I think there is a policy, quite frankly, but maybe we need to talk more about it, and certainly to recognise the role of the private sector in solid waste management. I don’t believe that the private sector being involved means that it will be more expensive, I actually hold the view that it could be more economical for the country. I don’t think we need to run away from that fear, as long as the bidding process is very transparent and the whole management is transparent therein.
So I think at the end of the day we are moving in the right direction, there is need for clarity from my end as a policymaker, there is need to get the private sector more on board.
Donville Inniss is Minister of Industry and also has Cabinet responsibility for International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development. He expressed these views at last week’s Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry luncheon.
