Opposition hardens towards Suma contract

Opposition among council members in Bolivian city Santa Cruz is hardening against a solid-waste collection contract nominally awarded to company Suma SRL, El Deber reported. Council approval is looking "more and more distant" as opposition councilors have become more radical in their opposition, with one representative, Gabriela Ichaso, even starting a hunger strike over the weekend. In July the municipal sanitation company Emacruz awarded Suma the concession after disqualifying the three other candidates; Siasur, TMA and Clima, who later had their formal protests rejected. Under the concession Suma would collect and transport urban waste at an estimated rate of US$19.05/t, with disposal rates of US$6.00/t. Santa Cruz, Bolivia's second-largest city, has some 1 million residents. The amount comes to an estimated US$50mn over the concession's life. While other bids were lower, Suma's offered the best coverage and has more experience than the other candidates, it was reported. However, the decision did not receive the two-thirds majority vote it needed for ratification. The opposition's main argument has been that the concession process has not been transparent and that some councilors have other agendas. Suma has managed city waste for about three years under an "emergency contract" that was originally supposed to last three months, BNamericas reported in July. Prior to that, the municipality handled its own waste.