The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is denying claims that it is responsible for ridding the Neville Antonio Park in Port Antonio of its garbage, following allegation that it failed to carry out its duties earlier this week.

Coswell Rodney, NSWMA enforcement officer Portland, told The Gleaner the waste management body is not respon-sible for the cleaning of the Neville Antonio Park, or any other park in Port Antonio. He said no arrangement or commitment was made by NSWMA to rid the park of its waste upon any cruise ship arrival.

Parish council's responsibility

"It is the responsibility of the Portland Parish Council to clean the Neville Antonio Park, and not us," said Mr. Rodney. "After the garbage are packed in their containers, then it becomes the responsibility of the NSWMA to have it remove for dumping."

Mr. Rodney added that the responsibility of the NSWMA is to keep the town and its environs clean and free from garbage. He added that the workers assigned to the NSWMA are competent and that they remain committed to their jobs. He noted that the NSWMA carries out its job in a professional manner, without any favour or prejudice.

The statement comes in the wake of allegations made by Port Antonio's Mayor, Benny White, last Wednesday, that a team from the NSWMA assigned to clean the park once per week, failed to honour its duties on the day that cruise ship Braemer docked at the Ken Wright Pier. The mayor also claimed he was forced to clean the Neville Antonio Park that day, assisted by a parish council worker, Moshe Simpson, along with an elderly man.

But Mr. Rodney argued that the mayor may have been mis-informed about the responsibility of the NSWMA in the parish. He added that no team from the NSWMA has ever carried out clean up operations in the park and therefore it should not be held accountable.

- Gareth Davis