After Bosco, Panamas garbage collection woes continue

Four months after  the the director of Panama’s new garbage authority (AAUD),  said  "the issue of the garbage crisis is over” he has acknowledged that the  collection problem continues.

Henry Ho  made his latest mia culpa  after the multiple complaints from residents of communities located in the center of the city like Panama Viejo, San Sebastian and Calidonia, where garbage continues to accumulate.

The job was taken away from Panama’s mayor Bosco Vallarino after  President Ricardo Martinelli stepped in.

 "While Bosco was not as good as the previous mayor  he did a better job than this authority” said one complainant in San Miguelito.

At the other end of the city, where the presidential palace stands, community leader Julian Segura says what is happening is sad because every 15 days we are "lucky" if a collection truckpasses by "That's one of the main problems of this community," said the community leader.

Those are  are just two of many thousands of Panamanians in both inner-city neighborhoods or distant from the capitalwho regret being sold the image of the AAUD as an entity that would solve the garbage crisis, when in fact  budget of $ 82 million it has failed says La Prensa.

Dimaud, the city collection system under the Mayor of Panama, had a budget of $45 million a year, or $ 37 million less than the current institution in charge of collecting garbage from December 2010.

However, the AUDD have their excuses. According to its director, Henry Ho, the problem is due to the lack of trucks, bureaucracy and poor Panamanian culture with recycle their waste. "Our fleet consists of 35 trucks, but half have mechanical damage," he said. Similar reasoning was used by the city before the new authority was created.

Ho says more than $1 million a month is spent renting trucks, compactors and dump trucks. "It is true that we have received $ 62 million and $ 82 million budget, but we also have paid $ 8 million debt left by the previous administration." said Ho.

"The bureaucratic part is another thing that affects us," said the director of the AAUD. We hope to have $20 million of new trucks to cope with the collection in December, tons more  garbage hits the streets, he said.

 Ho called for more awareness among the population, since many people are throwing garbage on the street indiscriminately. "We must all work together towards a cleancity  he said.He asked the National Assembly for a $130 million budget for 2012, but only  $ 70 million was approved.

Bosco Vallarino is skeptical of the work being done by the authority.

"I have understood that the AAUD already spent $62 million. What needs to be asked is if the money is being managed efficiently and honestly. They have preferred to rent rather than buy trucks. If I had  been given $82 million I would have picked the trash from here to to San Jose, Costa Rica, said Vallarino, who handled the collection service until late 2010.