The capital continues to be plagued by the piling up of uncollected rubbish on its streets, and the city council of Santo Domingo has now given Attwoods Dominicana, the contractors for collection, a period of one week to improve its services or lose its contract with the central government. Attwoods, which is effectively under the control of Dixi Sanitary Service, a U.S. based corporation, receives RD$10 million per month for the collection of rubbish in 342 sectors of Santo Domingo, while the city council is responsible for the outlying areas in the National District.
According to the newspaper Listin Diario, between 700 and 800 tons of rubbish remain uncollected each day, out of a total of approximately 1,800 tons produced in the capital. The problem has been one of the main public concerns of President Leonel Fernandez, who has made several tours around the city and to the Duquesa refuse dump to monitor the clean-up operation he has ordered via the city council.
The Attwoods company, through its president Abraham Canaan, has alleged that the Duquesa dump is not in a condition to receive any refuse, but the mayor of Santo Domingo, Rafael Subervi Bonilla, claims that it has been properly prepared and is being used by the city council’s vehicles.
On Monday, 16 September, Mr. Canaan told the newspaper Hoy that he expected to meet with President Fernandez very shortly to discuss the problem of refuse collection in Santo Domingo and the contract between Attwoods and the government, which has been harshly criticized by Mr. Subervi and his predecessor, Rafael Corporan de los Santos.