$13.2B to be spent on solid waste management in 2025

The government has allocated $13.2 billion in the 2025 National Budget to improve solid waste management across the country.

This was announced by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh during his budget presentation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Dr Singh highlighted that the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development will implement a comprehensive sanitation scheme this year to address the issue of sanitation.

The Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill will be upgraded with the addition of a third cell, a hazardous waste cell, and a recycling centre. New sanitary landfill sites will also be established in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Nine, and Ten.

Continuous upgrades will be done to landfill sites at Enterprise, Mabaruma [Region One], Mahaicony, Port Kaituma and Santa Rosa in Region One, and St Ignatius in Region Nine among other key areas.

Waste treatment facilities will also be completed in Bartica, Region Seven and Zorg, Region Two.

The government will also be conducting a major procurement and distribution of waste management equipment including compactor bins.

“Mr Speaker, to advance these initiatives, a substantial sum of $13.2 billion is allocated,” the minister disclosed.

In 2024, some $2.6 billion was budgeted for solid waste in the country. This has since helped with the upgrade and emergence of about 13 landfill sites.