HCM City (VNS/VNA) - As theamount of rubbish continues to rise each year, Ho Chi Minh Cityauthorities are exploring ways to improve the services ofthe thousands of private garbage collectors operating in thecity.

In an effort toimprove their capabilities, the city is encouraging private garbagecollectors to join co-operatives or public garbage-collection companies.As an alternative, they could also set up their own legal businesses. 

Authoritieshave also issued a suggested pricing range for garbage collection and thetypes of vehicles that should be used for the task.

The city isalso considering offering low-interest loans to private collectors so thatthey can afford new equipment.

Around 60 percentof garbage collection is done by private trash collectors and therest by public service companies in the city, according to the nongovernmental organisation Environmental Development Action in the ThirdWorld (ENDA) Vietnam.

A survey by theDepartment of Natural Resources and Environment found that the public HCMCity Urban Environment Company and 22 other public service companieshave a total of about 3,500 garbagecollection vehicles operating in the city centre and at publicconstruction works.

In addition, thereare 80 private companies, 12 co-operative groups, two trash-collectingunions and nearly 2,200 private garbage-collecting teams, with about2,200 simple collection vehicles.

However, many of theprivate collectors use rickshaws, motorbike wagons or self-made vehicles.Generally, their equipment is crude and old-fashioned, and unableto limit odours or spills from liquids. 

So far, atleast 616 private teams have been encouraged to join environmentalco-operative groups or become private businesses, according to cityauthorities.

Seven districts inthe city now have all of their garbage collection done by co-operativegroups or private businesses.

However,the garbage-collecting union in District 5 has complained that there areno clear benefits to join co-operative groups or becoming legalbusinesses..

Most ofthe union members are poor labourers who cannot afford tobuy better equipment. The price they receive for garbagecollection is only 15,000-30,000 VND (0.64 - 1.29 USD) for eachhousehold.

The Department ofNatural Resources and Environment and all 24 districts are working withprivate garbage collectors on setting up collection schedules and prices.They have also asked the city to offer soft loans to privatecollectors to buy better vehicles.  

The amount of garbagedischarged in the city has reached around 10,000 tonnes daily and isexpected to increase by 10 percent next year.-VNS/VNA