Remember in June when there was a big flap about Belize City control
of garbage and use of dumpsite bylaw which allowed city hall to charge businesses
hefty new fees for garbage collection? Well after that controversy, and probably
because of it, that has been revised, and now there are new regulations for
the collection of commercial garbage. A memo circulated to business owners this
week informed them that they can now either pay for Belize Waste Control to
pickup their garbage or drop it off at the city dumpsite themselves. Either
way they’ll have to pay on a volume basis, meaning they’ll pay for
each cubic yard of garbage.
But the real news is that the City Council will start measuring your
garbage. The good part is that businesses will only pay for the garbage they
generate, while for many, the bad news will be that they have to pay at all.
City councillor with responsibility for sanitation Philip Willoughby explained
the new fees and rules for us.
Phillip Willoughby,
“With regards to the measurement of the garbage, if you utilize the
service at Belize Waste Control first, there is a measurement in the back of
their Waste Control Truck where you put in an amount of garbage and it measures
somewhere between 1 and 2 cubic yard of garbage. Thereafter that is how you
will be charged. If you go to the dumpsite there is a one cubic bin where you
put in the garbage and it will be measured through that facility there.
If you choose to go with Waste Control the fees are spelled out right here.
It would be $10 per month for the Moms and Pops. For the first cubic yard of
garbage $34.20 and any additional garbage above the first cubic yard will be
$24.20. If you go to the dumpsite it will be $32 for the first cubic yard of
garbage and any additional cubic yard $22. But you need to have the council
know how you will be disposing of your waste. Thereafter the valuation Department
along with our sanitation unit will be checking and enforcement of the legislation.
Providing that you sign up with Waste Control, there will be a receipt
that will be handed in circulation in triplicate. One for Waste Control, one
for the commercial, and one for the council. If you use the dumpsite you will
be given a receipt. When we do these checks you have to have one or the other
to say this is how my garbage is being dealt with. Providing that is not the
case then we enforce the law.
It is simple and it is clear cut. As you mentioned it is just based on
the amount of garbage you generate; nothing more, nothing less.”
The new rules and fees will take effect next month and are in accordance
with a new statutory instrument gazetted at the start of August.
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