Mauritania's minister of the interior, decentralisation and local development put the performance of ARMA, the Moroccan company in charge of cleaning Nouakchott, under review, saying its fulfilment of its contractual obligations falls short, and called for alternative options to be prepared early, before the deadline it was given in December expires.
At a meeting on Sunday devoted to cleanliness in the capital, the minister said shortcomings should not wait until the deadline ends to be addressed, given the time it could take to award the task to another provider and to ensure continuity of service.
He also called for tighter enforcement against cleanliness violations, applying the fines and penalties provided by law, and requiring construction sites to remove their waste to designated places instead of leaving it in streets and public squares.
He said the government puts improving the capital's cleanliness at the top of its priorities, whether by correcting the current company's shortcomings or adopting other alternatives.
