PARAMARIBO – Public Works Minister Riad Nurmohamed recently announced, that payments of projects that are not a priority, are being postponed for the time being so that garbage collectors who haven’t received their money for several months can finally receive partial payment. He explained that there are currently no funds to pay contractors in advance. The Public Works minister is currently waiting for green light from the Finance and Planning Ministry, so that the payments can commence. Some of the garbage collectors did not go on strike, because they have already received payment. The minister explained that construction projects currently are not on top of the list, because collecting garbage is currently more important. Several garbage collectors made it clear that they start working again after they have received all of their money, because they also have their obligations such as paying their employees and buying fuel for their garbage trucks. The nation’s doctors have repeatedly warned that failure to collect the garbage bags would eventually pose a threat to the public health. They urged the government to pay the waste disposal firms as soon as possible, so that the garbage trucks could start collecting garbage again…[+]