MUSCAT -- A master-plan for the management of solid wastes, commissioned by the state-owned Oman Environmental Services Holding Company SAOC (OESHCO), is due to be completed by the year-end. The master-plan, according to OESHCO's Chief Executive Officer, Azhar Haroun al Kindi (pictured), will serve as a strategic roadmap for the effective and comprehensive management of all streams of solid waste generated across the Sultanate.
Al Kindi was speaking at a special workshop hosted by OESHCO to familiarise the private sector with the wide array of business opportunities arising out of the holding company's efforts to modernise and privatise waste management services across the country. Around 150 people, representing a broad cross section of consultancy and contracting firms, as well as equipment and technology services providers, attended the workshop at Grand Hyatt Muscat yesterday.
"This workshop was organised in response to the overwhelming interest of people in our strategy for the management and privatisation of the solid waste sector," said Al Kindi. "Our tenders have been attracting a tremendous response as well, demonstrating the industry's strong desire to participate in this strategy. A large number of local, regional and international companies have also approached us with a desire to get acquainted with the various projects on offer, and the tendering procedures involved," he explained.
In a detailed overview on OESHCO's strategy for solid waste management, Al Kindi said a number of 'Emergency' waste sector projects have been initiated for implementation over the next five years.
Key among these initiatives is a plan to establish 16 engineered landfills, 65 waste transfer stations and four waste treatment plants in different parts of the country during the 2011-2015 timeframe. The new landfills will make way for the eventual closure of the 348 rubbish tips currently in operation around the country.
Also envisaged for 'fast-track' implementation are a number of major initiatives, notably a solid waste management project at Barka, and a medical waste collection, treatment and disposal facility in Dhofar Governorate. An engineered landfill, conceived as part of the company's 'fast track' initiatives, came into operation at Al Amerat in Muscat Governorate recently.
The most significant, by far, is a proposal for the establishment of a National Hazardous Waste Management facility at Adam, said Al Kindi. "We have already finished the technical evaluation, and will shortly begin financial evaluation of tenders for this key project, which will be the single largest scheme in the waste sector. When operational, the Adam facility will come as a relief to industries, as it provides a breakthrough in the effective management and disposal of hazardous waste in Oman."
Also on the anvil are a host of far-reaching projects, such as the Dhofar Integrated Waste Management System, Duqm Waste Management Project, Used Tyres Recycling Project, National Healthcare Waste Plan, and Electronic Waste Recycling Project.
A proposed new sector law, currently awaiting promulgation, will provide robust impetus to the government's strategy for the management and privatisation of the waste sector when it is endorsed by Royal Decree, said the official. When issued, existing waste sector assets and services, currently under the jurisdiction of various municipal and government entities, will shift to the control of OESHCO. The new law will also open the way for waste sector privatisation efforts to get under-way in earnest, he said.
The workshop also featured a number of presentations on the many projects and initiatives that promise to open up significant business opportunities for the private sector. During a Q&A session that followed the presentations, participants commended OESHCO on its unique initiative to create a transparent and level playing field for companies looking to bid for waste sector contracts. Delegates also welcomed the holding company's proactive efforts in enlisting the private sector in the government's waste management and privatisation strategy from the very outset.
© Oman Daily Observer 2011
