Public Works Secretary Juan S. Reyes says shipping out garment waste will cost the government approximately $5 million a year.
Reyes, who is a member of the Saipan Integrated Solid Waste Task Force, told Variety that negotiations were underway to ask the lone qualified bidder, Maeda-Ericco, to reduce its $400 per ton offer.
“Where is the commonwealth going to get ($5 million)?” Reyes said.
The task force chairman, Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente, earlier said it would be “too costly” to ship out the garment waste.
Reyes, however, said once the beautification tax proposed by the administration is imposed, the government can raise a portion of the needed funding.
The task force is also considering an increase in the Puerto Rico dump tipping fee from the current rate of between $1 to $20 to $40 or $50, Reyes said.
“Of course we just cannot impose drastic increases,” he added. “We are still looking for another way,” Reyes said.
The task force earlier announced that starting April 30, garment factories could no longer dump their waste at Puerto Rico. But the task force later gave the factories a 15-day extension.
