Firemen from the York Park Fire Station wash stale urine from the sidewalk at the St. William Grant Park in downtown Kingston on Sunday. - Norman Grindley /Deputy Chief Photographer

The Government has vowed to maintain a clean environment through a zero tolerance approach as it steps up a new drive to enforce provisions under the National Solid Waste Management Act, which is aimed at prosecuting persons who litter public spaces.

Already 30 persons have been issued with fines this year for breaching the law, which can attract a maximum penalty of $1 million or nine months imprisonment.

Significant work is already under way in the $635 million clean-up programme, announced by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller in September last year, according to Donald Buchanan, Minister of Information.

This exercise, Mr. Buchanan said, would be sustained through a stringent enforcement drive by the Government to keep public places free of rubbish.

The agencies with responsibility for implementing the National Solid Waste Management Act include the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF), the Jamaica Constabulary Force, public health inspectors, traffic wardens and NSWMA officers.

Opal Davis, enforcement and investigations administrator at the NSWMA, told The Gleaner that effective May 1, the agency would be implementing a ticketing system for persons who violate the act.

Traffic ticket system

Similar to the traffic ticket system, persons who infringe the legislation will be required to pay a fine within 21 days of the issuance of the ticket.

Failure to pay this fine could result in an arrestand offenders could be brought before the Resident Magistrate's Court.

Listing the fines for certain offences, Ms. Davis said the placement of posters in public places without authorisation from the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation or parish councils could attract a fine of $3,000 for every poster.

In addition, the NSWMA enforcement administrator said the "mastermind" behind the posters would be required to pay $10,000 for each poster. Persons who dispose of their garbage in open lots, if caught, would be required to pay $5,000.

Head of the ISCF, Commandant Osmond Bromfield, said the police have targeted and fined a number of business operators for illicit disposal of garbage in Kingston, Spanish Town and Linstead.

He said the ISCF needed additional resources to increase its drive against persons who flout the law.