SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake has asked government to give an update on the progress of the draft solid waste ordinance. The ordinance, which will serve as a cornerstone in the solution of the country’s solid waste woes, is said to still be in the Legal Affairs Department and dates to the time when Lake was a minister almost a year ago.

“Imagine if we pass the solid waste ordinance and address the solid waste issue of the landfill, we can address lowering the electrical bills by introducing alternative energy, recycling and also lower the cost of living through NV GEBE,” said Lake in a press statement.

This draft ordinance should be ready to come to Parliament. He called on ad-interim Environment and Infrastructure Minister Marcel Gumbs “to make sure” the Legal Affairs Department finalizes the amendments, “instead of it just sitting on someone’s desk.”

He hopes to get an answer from government soon about the status of the draft ordinance as well as information of the Kadaster Office that was requested last week.

Speaking about utilities company NV GEBE, Lake said it is “sad” to see the company’s supervisory board and management “caught up with court cases and leaking of information to social media, instead of focusing on future investments of the country and strategic planning.”

“We need to get back to basics within NV GEBE and start raising the bar by putting the right checks and balances in place to better serve the people. The board and management also got to show better institutional and individual integrity within the company or else let them resign,” said Lake.

The MP is elated that the Governing Programme, titled “Ready to Work for You,” has been presented by the governing coalition to the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet. He looks forward to the next six months as a time “to set priorities, pass and amend some laws” that are in line with the programme to better serve the people.”