BASSETERRE, St Kitts, 24 May 2023 – The Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC) welcomed its new General Manager on Wednesday 24 May 2023 at the SWMC Conference Room.
Nelvin Maynard has been named the new General Manager of the Corporation and is backed by a seven-member Board of Directors. Maynard who has a vast background in Accounting and Business Management is essential to SWMC’s bid to becoming financially viable, according to Hon Dr Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Environment et al, under which operates the SWMC.
She said the Ministry is strategic in putting at the helm of the Corporation and the Board, the new leadership which comes from Government financial departments, and that it is important to acknowledge the need for SWMC to be intentional about making a financial pivot so that the institution could better serve all the residents of St Kitts with efficient disposal of household waste and cost-effective industrial and residential waste disposal.
The Ministry of Finance is the current chair of the Board to which the Honourable Minister said the Corporation must be in a position where it can manage itself and not lean on the government for monthly assistance through subventions. She added that the government aims to reinforce statutory bodies and that the first step is the right leadership.
Explaining the process of selection, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Sharon Rattan, said the position was advertised and attracted 11 applicants.
She said, the applications were vetted by the Human Resources Department and five persons were interviewed in front of a panel that included the Head of the Civil Service, using agreed upon questions and a rubric.
Additionally, Dr. Clarke told the new Board that she wants SWMC to transition from how it currently operates to a framework of sustainable waste management systems that will limit the strain already experienced at the landfill.
She said, “I want you to accept the task of moving Solid Waste Management Corporation from what it currently is, from garbage disposal to landfill management, to broader climate resilience and sustainability objectives of recycling, waste-to-energy, composting, upcycling, and of course limiting how much and what we put in garbage. It is a really big objective but that’s where we have to go if we are to transition to a Sustainable Island State with the Circular Economy as a priority.”
The Minister and PS Rattan extended heartfelt gratitude to Judith Isles who functioned as the institution’s Acting General Manager for the past seven months, as well as the staff for its patience and cooperation during the transition.
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