Jamaica spends $35 million for Spruce Up garbage disposal bin project

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

As part of efforts to reduce littering in municipalities island wide, The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has spent $35 million to brand and install 1000 Spruce Up garbage disposal bins. The initiative forms part of the Ministry of Tourismโ€™s “Spruce Up” campaign which seeks to provide a clean and aesthetically appealing environment to increase attractiveness for visitors and businesses in Jamaicaโ€™s resort areas.

Speaking at the official handover of the garbage disposal bins yesterday at flag circle inย  downtown, Kingston,ย  Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett reiterated the need to safeguard our environment, โ€œPutting trash and rubble around the place impacts the health security of our communities and areas and puts us all at risk with diseases due to unsanitary conditions,

We in tourism are guardians of health security and enabling an environment that is conducive to life and to keep more and more people healthy as part of our overall commitment to a safe, secure and seamless destination.โ€

The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation has received 97 garbage bins and the remaining bins have been installed in most areas across the island.

Minister Bartlett added that, โ€œThe enhancement of our township is about our people first and if we get it right and it is clean and appropriate for our Jamaicans then it will be clean and appropriate for the visitors who come.

“So Kingston has to get it right and this expenditure will help to build out the capabilities for cleanliness within the communities.โ€

Executive Director of the TEF, Dr. Carey Wallace said, โ€œWe choose Kingston to do the official handing over of the bins primarily because we want everyone to know that we take this parish seriously as in fact a tourist destination.

“We are also quite proud of making this investment but more proud of the partnerships we have created in the many projects we have done and one that is demonstrated is with the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation.โ€

Mayor of Kingston, His Worship Senator and Councillor Delroy Williams applauded the initiative and thanked the TEF and Ministry of Tourism for their effort to improving the aesthetics of Kingston and St. Andrew.

Environmental safety and beautification is a vital part of the product of the tourism sector.ย  As such, part of the Ministry of Tourismโ€™s mandate is to make the destination assured and is doing so through partnership with the providers of the services that secure the infrastructure of the country.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Tourism, through Spruce Up Jamaica, embarked on a Three Hundred and Forty Million dollar ($340,000,000.00) programme with the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to implement the Tourism Resort Maintenance Programme. The programme will focus on keeping resort areas such as Negril, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Falmouth, Ocho Rios, Treasure Beach and Kingston clean and sanitary to meet global standards.

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Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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