This was revealed yesterday by Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who explained that the Ministry of Finance did not give the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) all the money it needed.

During a tour of the Bridgetown Sewage Treatment Plant and the districts around it yesterday, Arthur said as Minister of Finance he did not give sanitation [the SSA] as much money as it needed and they responded by cutting back overtime.

"I am correcting that. I have met this week with officials to discuss what we need to do to go back to a full 24-hour service, and purchase more trucks," he said.

Arthur explained that the SSA would be seeking to have five replacement trucks every year.

"Government will not allow this unsatisfactory situation to persist nor will we allow it to get out of hand. It is a question of us allowing these institutions to have the resources first of all to carry out their basic services and to maintain their facility and to expand their service commensurate with the demands being placed upon them by the rest of society."

When questioned about the $20 million Greenland Landfill which has been idle for several years since being completed, Arthur said he would "love to go to Greenland as soon as it is practicable".

However, he said there was some remedial work which needed to be done.