The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

ENVIRONMENT and Housing Minister Romauld Ferreira yesterday announced that his office has issued requests for proposals to seven companies for the remediation and management of the New Providence landfill.

Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Environment and Housing's Charlotte Street's office yesterday, Mr Ferreira said the selection committee compiled to carry out the RFP process had settled on seven firms and was now awaiting proposals to deconstruct, remediate and operate the landfill.

The firms announced include Apapa International (Nassau) Ltd, Bahamas Waste, Bahamas WPT Ltd, Eastern Waste Systems Ltd, Marine Contractors Inc, Providence Advisors and Valoriza Sevicios Medioambientales, S A.

According to Mr Ferreira, the firms shortlisted have until February 22 to submit any queries they may have, with government looking to conclude the entire process by June 25.

Mr Ferreira said the committee's criteria centred on identifying firms that had the technical expertise to address many of the issues that have plagued the property and experience that is necessary to execute thoroughly and a clear access to capital.

The Marathon MP also confirmed that each of the firms shortlisted had a mix of Bahamian and foreign components.

Directly addressing the firms, Mr Ferreira said his ministry refused to tether the proposal process in any way. He stressed that the government viewed the concept of "seeing what was out there" its greatest opportunity to "fix a longstanding problem."

He told The Tribune: "Really and truly we want a long-term solution, the Minnis administration wants a long-term solution, and we don't want a Band-Aid approach."

Mr Ferreira added: "I know that the residents have endured a great deal, I know that they have, but we have been working on this. I have put a lot of energy into it myself, in reading the documentation and going over it to make sure that everything is right.

"We want to get the right person to deconstruct, and I can't emphasise it enough, to deconstruct and open up to see what is there, to remediate and operate the landfill."

Last fall the government issued an expression of interest (EOI) for the pre-qualification of a RFP to manage and operate the landfill.

The Minnis administration, upon taking office last May, cancelled the landfill tender process initiated by the former Christie administration just weeks before it was voted out.

That RFP attracted two bids, one of which was from the 10-strong Bahamian consortium, Waste Resources Development Group (WRDG), and its financial partner, Providence Advisors.

Renew Bahamas, the last firm to manage the landfill, withdrew services in October 2016 amid several disagreements with the former government.

The Department of Environmental Health Services subsequently took over operations.