LAHORE: Keeping in view the country’s ties with Turkey, the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has decided in principle to return the entire used machinery (450 units) to two Turkish firms whose contract (including extensions for primary and secondary waste collection) ended in December last year.

The company has also decided to focus on its waste-to-energy project which can generate about 20MW to the national grid.

“As a goodwill gesture, the LWMC board of directors (BoD) has approved a proposal to return the entire machinery (450 units) to the Turkish companies with thanks since most of it is of no use. We have taken this decision which will be placed soon before the cabinet for final approval, just to maintain good diplomatic ties with Turkey,” Local Government and Community Development Department Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal told journalists at a press briefing at the Lahore Press Club on Friday.

He said since beginning of the contract in 2012-13, the government has so far paid Rs80 billion to Turkish contractors for primary and secondary waste collection and dumping. But unfortunately, the company couldn’t develop its assets. Moreover, the contractors too didn’t focus on repair / maintenance of the machinery during their extension periods that led to deterioration of city’s cleanliness issues.

“We have also constituted a committee to resolve the issue related to pending bills of the Turkish companies soon,” said Mr Mengal who also represents the LWMC BoD as ex-officio member.

Turkish companies Albayrak and Ozpak on Dec 22 last staged a protest demonstration against the LWMC for “forcibly seizing” the firms’ machinery and equipment in an intrusion, besides taking over the workshops and field offices despite stay orders. They also criticised the company for not clearing their bills of over Rs3 billion. However, the company rejected the contractors’ stance that the machinery, under the contract, was liable to be handed over to it.

It also clarified that the bills, in the light of forensic audit, cannot be cleared. Later, the Lahore High Court stopped the company from using the machinery. However, the company challenged the order in the division bench that finally allowed it to use it keeping in view the cleanliness situation in Lahore. The issue was also reported by the international media including various Turkish news oganisations.

The secretary said the company couldn’t take important decisions related to procurement and shortlisting and selection of new companies for waste collection and it led to giving extensions to the Turkish contractors from time to time. The company, before expiry of the contract with the Turkish firm, should have initiated the bidding process for hiring new contractors for primary or secondary waste collection. But its board kept delaying such important issues.

“But as soon as I joined as secretary, I started making efforts to constitute new BoD for the company and get various decisions taken by it to start procurement of new machinery (925 units -- dumpers, compactors, mechanical sweepers, loaders etc), waste containers / bins, handcarts, uniforms, shoes etc,” he claimed, appealing to the Lahorites to understand the issues and give the company at least two months to complete the procurement process.

Answering a question, he said the new chairman of the LWMC board (Amjad Awan) is a thorough professional as he has certain expertise in alternate energy resources. “He has already worked as chairman of the alternative energy board in Islamabad. And we hope he would materialise the LWMC’s waste to energy project that will generate about 20MW electricity,” he said.

Meanwhile, the 115th meeting of the LWMC BoD was held at its head office to review and approve various proposals. BoD Chairman Amjad Ali Awan presided over the meeting.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2021