Rising dollar might make a mess out of Lahore

Lahore Waste Management Company to clean the city and dispose of waste.

LAHORE: Inflation is hitting everywhere, including the collection of solid waste to keep the provincial capital clean. After the increase in price of the dollar, gas, petrol, and electricity, and a 15 per cent increase in the salaries of all staff, Lahore Waste Management Company has asked for a budget of Rs15 billion from the Punjab Government for the fiscal year 2019-20, which the government has not approved or denied yet.

Sanitation work has been affected by this delay. Previously, the Punjab government provided an annual budget of around Rs12 billion to Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) to clean the city and dispose of waste. LWMC uses most of its budget to pay two companies that are responsible for waste collection, with under 20 per cent left to cover its own rent, staff salary, and other general expenses.

According to the contracts with foreign companies, $19 dollars per tonne is paid for collecting solid waste and taking it to the dumpsite.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2019.