The Municipal Sanitation Company (SMA) is operating with only slightly more than half of its vehicle fleet. Out of 40 available trucks, only 25 are operational on a daily basis. Koji Uzawa, head of equipment maintenance and operation at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), stated that these vehicles are the only ones circulating daily due to budget constraints, a shortage of drivers, and overall funding gaps. This was announced during the closing of the 2nd workshop on sharing results for the ‘Solid Waste Management Equipment Maintenance and Management’ sub-component of the Antananarivo Solid Waste Management Improvement Project.
Tantely Ranoelijaona, Director General of the SMA, explained that the remaining trucks are kept in reserve to limit wear and tear and facilitate maintenance. He noted that these 25 trucks are sufficient to collect the 900 tons of waste generated daily in Antananarivo, though the SMA requires additional support from the Urban Commune of Antananarivo (CUA) and the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (MEAH) to operate optimally.
The SMA relies primarily on household waste fees. Koji Uzawa emphasized that if every resident contributes, it will enable a cleaner Antananarivo. Currently, the SMA consumes between 1,300 and 1,600 liters of fuel per day to collect waste in the capital.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-29 06:09:16 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/antananarivo-lassainissement-manque-de.html