The Municipal Sanitation Company (SMA) is operating with just over half of its vehicle fleet. Of the 40 trucks available, only 25 are operational daily. "These vehicles are the only ones circulating each day due to budget constraints. There is also a shortage of drivers and insufficient funding," said Koji Uzawa, maintenance and equipment operations manager at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica). This was stated yesterday during the closing of the 2nd results-sharing workshop on Sub-component I "Maintenance and Management of Solid Waste Management Equipment" of the Project to Improve Solid Waste Management System in Antananarivo, organized by the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (MEAH), Jica, the Urban Municipality of Antananarivo (CUA), and the SMA.

SMA General Director Tantely Ranoelijaona explained that the remaining trucks are kept in reserve. "In terms of management, we cannot deploy all vehicles at once to limit wear and tear. This also ensures maintenance and upkeep work," he said.

These 25 trucks are "more than sufficient" to collect the 900 tons of waste generated daily in Antananarivo. "However, the SMA needs additional support from the CUA and the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene to operate optimally," added the general director.

The SMA operates primarily through household waste fees. "If every resident of Antananarivo contributes, even if each person's contribution is small, that is what will allow us to have a clean Antananarivo," noted Koji Uzawa. The SMA consumes between 1,300 and 1,600 liters of fuel daily to collect garbage in the capital.