Acting Premier of Nevis Hon. Alexis Jeffers believes that the environment on Nevis has improved considerably thanks to the work of the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).
Mr. Jeffers made the comment while commending the staff at the official handing over ceremony of two SPV garbage trucks, one HE210 excavator and one HD22R bulldozer donated by the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) on September 08, 2022.
“The environment here on Nevis, I believe, is much better as a result of the efforts of the management and staff here at the Solid Waste Management Authority. It is a much better service than it was 10 years ago, and I want to say that somewhere along the line the manager who manages the operations; the operation manager who sees about…deploying the trucks to various parts of the island, you yourselves, have to be commended…
“I want to thank you [management and staff] on behalf of the administration and the entire island of Nevis because your job is one that is done almost 24/7. There are breakdowns that take place. There are different challenges that you have to face from time to time and of course we don’t know about them but I can assure you, we know that it is being done because the complaints are not there,” he said.
In relation the equipment given to the Authority, Mr. Jeffers spoke of its importance to the island.
“The investment, I believe, is of importance to us and important to the island of Nevis…I’d say within the last five years at least, we have seen a transformation of the delivery of the service that has been offered through this entity, the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority,” he said.
Acting Premier Jeffers added that the additional equipment will assist the Authority’s finances. However, he stressed the importance of caring for them.
“In terms of the cost savings that the entity should enjoy, operation cost of course, first and foremost, that should be minimised. With new pieces of equipment, we expect that the cost of maintenance should be rather low or very low. While fuel prices are high these days, with new vehicles the consumption levels should be low as well. So in terms of the cost of fuel in these new equipment it should be minimised as well. Not only that, I believe if you were to take proper care of them, we will have a prolonged usage of these equipment over the years. So it is important to maintain these pieces of equipment so that we can have a long lasting use of them also.
“So I will say to you that this investment in and of itself, is one that we welcome; one that I believe was a must; and one I do believe is going to pay dividends in the long run,” he said.
Mr. Jeffers stated that the NIA stands ready to assist the Authority and any other statutory body. He wished the Authority a bright future in the delivery of its services.
“I want to wish the Authority well. I wish to express how proud I am of the efforts that have been executed over the years. I want to thank you as you go along this challenging journey, yes, but one that is of paramount importance to us.
“We want to wish you well and ask …God’s blessings and protection on you so that we can have a clean and healthy and sustainable environment on the island of Nevis,” he said.