KARACHI: The Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) has initiated negotiations with private companies contracted for garbage disposal in the city for payment in local currency instead of US dollars.

A press release issue on Friday said that a SSWMB meeting, chaired by Managing Director Syed Imitaz Ali Shah, discussed at length the decisions made by the steering committee of the Board.

The meeting deliberated upon the new plan of garbage disposal in the city before the expiry of the contracts made with private firms for solid waste management om districts West, Malir, Keamari and East.

It was informed in the meeting that the negotiations with the contracting firms for payment in local currency had already been started.

The representatives of the private firms working in district Malir, West and Keamari informed the meeting that the verification of the staff and vehicle had been completed through a third party, while the verification was still going on in district East.

The SSWMB MD directed the officials concern to take steps to further improve efficiency in the new operational plan.

He asked the officials to make union committeewise operational plan, containing complete details of daily waste volume, transport, machinery, staff and all resources to further improve the door-to-door waste collection services.

He also directed the private companies to pay the salaries of their respective staff on time.

Mr Shah said that the operational plan should also include training of the staff, the strategy of separate collection of waste and the data of people who picked garbage illegally.