C’River Set to Introduce Tariff Regime on Refuse Bins in Calabar

by crossriverwatch admin

The Cross River State government has restated its commitment to make the state capital, Calabar, clean and green as part of its vision on environment.

For it to achieve this, the state has perfected modalities to introduce a tariff regime on all the citizens and households using the public refuse cabin.

It will be recalled that a similar scheme was introduced in 2009 but it elicited serious complaints from the citizens and had to be jettisoned.

The commissioner for environment, Dr. Sandy Onor dropped the hint of a tariff shortly after signing a contract agreement with contractors of waste evacuation companies in Calabar.

The Commissioner charged the contractors to key into the State Government’s vision of maintaining an environmentally friendly State, adding that, to enable government drive the vision to greater heights, there is need for a functional synergy with the private sector.

He said such synergy will ensure greater efficiency in contract execution, noting that the Public Private Partnership, PPP initiative has put in place a tariff regime, whose major components require citizens to show value for Government’s effort by paying a token to ensure sustainability.

Dr. Onor hinted that his Ministry, through a revenue consultant would soon embark on an aggressive publicity to ensure that Cross Riverians and other residents in the State are adequately enlightened on the tariff system and its benefits to the State, expressing hope that, the contractors will adhere to the spirit and letter of the contract agreement.

The Commissioner assured that he will leave no stone unturned to ensure that Calabar the state capital remains the most environmentally disciplined state capital in Nigeria.

Responding on behalf of the contractors, the Managing Director of Patson Environmental Services, Barrister Patrick Odok, thanked the State government for the confidence reposed in them, assuring that the team will deliver on its mandate to enable the State meet that sectoral target.

Present at the signing ceremony were the representatives of the Attorney General of Cross River State, Commissioner for Finance and the Director General of the Bureau for Public Privatization.

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