Garbage collection contractors face penalties for missed pickups
November 12 2026
Garbage collection contractors in Georgetown will be required to pay for alternative waste removal if they fail to collect garbage on their scheduled days, as the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development moves to scrap the existing 48-hour grace period.
The decision was announced by Local Government Minister Priya Manickchand during a press conference today, as the ministry seeks to address persistent complaints about irregular garbage collection and mounting waste in communities.
Under the new arrangement, contractors will no longer have an additional 48 hours to complete missed collections.
Instead, those who fail to meet their scheduled collection days will have to cover the cost of having the garbage removed through alternative arrangements.
The ministry also plans to distribute fixed collection schedules to residents, clearly identifying the days waste should be collected and the contractors responsible for servicing each area.
Manickchand identified inadequate monitoring of contractors, increasing garbage volumes in densely populated communities and unreliable collection services as major challenges facing the city.
She disclosed that the Haags Bosch landfill now receives approximately 2,000 tonnes of garbage daily, compared with 150 tonnes when it first began operations. The number of garbage trucks accessing the facility has also increased from 60 to more than 420 daily.
The ministry’s new measures are intended to improve accountability among contractors and ensure residents receive more reliable garbage collection services.
