The Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) along with the Governance Commission, and the US Embassy have concluded a joint high-level meeting with the Embassy. The meeting aimed to find a strategy to tackle waste management crisis in Monrovia.
Held at Monrovia City Hall as the follow-up meeting to finalize a new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with private waste management companies in the United States to address the worsening garbage problem in Monrovia.
Jullion Cooper represented the Embassy at the meeting.
Cooper disclosed how the Embassy is not in a position to provide direct financial assistance to the Monrovia City Corporation for waste management, but will play a facilitating role by linking the MCC with established private waste management companies in the United States.
Mayor John Siafa informed the gathering that an agreement between the Monrovia City Corporation, and private companies to establish a public-private partnership is currently in the making.
Under the proposed PPP arrangement, the MCC will serve as the regulator of the process, while the private companies will be responsible for the collection, transportation, and management of waste in and around Monrovia and Paynesville.
Governance Commission executive director, Jallah C. Kesselly said, the Commission will work closely with the requisite ministries, agencies, and commissions to ensure coherence, and proper coordination in governance.
He said, the waste sector needs a clear, legal, and institutional framework that define who does what.
The Oversight Commissioner for Civic Engagement, National Identity and Visioning (CENIV) Mandate Area of the Governance Commission, Madam Cytirus K. Kerbay, underscored the importance of citizens’ participation.
She said the Commission cuts across all sectors of government, and will embark on robust public awareness, and education campaigns on the benefits of a clean, and healthy environment.
She noted that without changing public attitudes toward waste disposal, no technical solution will be sustainable.
Waste management in Monrovia has become one of the most visible governance challenges, with piles of waste often seen in communities, markets, and waterways, posing serious health and environmental risks.
