debate of his Ministry yesterday by praising residents for their "incredible cooperation'' in the new waste management scheme. He also commended his civil servants for jobs well done.

And the Opposition, while having little to say on the new garbage collection system, blasted Government for not doing enough to create jobs for the unemployed and improve the Island's roads, sidewalks and street lighting.

Dr. Terceira said he was especially proud of the workmen who went to aid the Bahamas after Hurricane Andrew's devastation. The Bahamian Works Ministry had graded them at the top of the list of the work teams (including Americans, Canadians and the British) which flew to the islands to help clean up.

The Minister wasted no time in getting to his new waste management scheme, which includes recycling and once-a-week garbage pick ups.

It was proving "highly successful'', he said, though there were some hiccups Government was working on.

Giving examples of "the incredible cooperation'' of residents in the scheme, Dr. Terceira said 60 tons of aluminium a month was now being collected for recycling -- plus 15 tons a month of steel and tin and 45 tons a month of glass.

The incinerator being built at Tynes Bay was the "cornerstone'' of future waste management in Bermuda, he said. Pembroke Dump was at capacity load and the dumping of land fill at Sally Port was about to come to an end because deep waters were on the verge of being reached.

Dr. Terceira said Government could only afford to resurface half the roads it wanted to, therefore, was concentrating on areas frequented by tourists.

Dr. Terceira said there was money in the budget to bring Swing Bridge up to par with the Island's other bridges with regard to load capacity. Money was also available for solving sewage problems in Prospect, the site of the new senior secondary school.

Commenting on his Ministry's $8-an-hour employment scheme, he said many of the workers had worked out so well they were being kept on by Agriculture and Fisheries.

He was hoping to expand the programme to include jobs for just-released prisoners.

It would boost their confidence and keep them out of trouble while looking for permanent employment, he said.

"They'd have a job to go to so they are not back on the streets burglarising our homes,'' he said.

Dr. Terceira outlined $2 million worth of improvements to the Ocean View Golf Course which he hoped would boost its revenue. A clubhouse was planned, he said, and improvements were being made to the course. Hopefully they would encourage Hamilton workers to stop by at lunch for a round of golf, he added.

Half a million dollars was allocated for a drug rehabilitation centre and a quarter of a million dollars for the completion of the National Stadium.

Money was also allocated for improvements to St. Brendan's psychiatric hospital, including the laundry facilities and the conversion of Oleander Ward to a day-care centre.

And 28 jobs had been cut mainly by attrition.

Shadow Works Minister Mr. Walter Roberts opened his debate of the budget by saying it was becoming less of a debate and more of the PLP and UBP battling to outlast each other on the floor.

He said Dr. Terceira should have endeavoured to create jobs and fund training programmes rather than decrease manpower.

Claiming at least 1,000 construction workers were out of work, he said: "A road cleaning and hedge trimming employment project is certainly not enough considering the gravity of the situation.'' He said there were many projects Government could hire the unemployed to do, such as building bus shelters, equipping buildings for disabled people, repairing Government buildings.

Mr. Roberts said Government should have begun construction on the incinerator and new prison years ago to really have helped the economy through the recession.

He said there was "no real reason'' to believe there was going to be a strong turn around in the economy.

Mr. Roberts said he was seriously concerned about the pulling out of the Canadian Forces and uncertainty over the future of the US Naval Annex.

He said the Canadians were pumping $30 million into the Government coffers and the fact they were pulling out was not made public until "the last minute''.

He called on Government to share some of the proposals for Daniel's Head with residents.

Mr. Roberts, pleased money had been allocated for the National Stadium, demanded to know when it would finally be completed.

He said Bermuda's recent World Cup bid had exposed the inadequacies of the stadium to Bermudians and the foreign public. Mr. Roberts said he hoped Government would not allow the Island to be embarrassed in that way again.

The requirement that residents put up 66 percent of the funding for improvements to private estate roads was a "tall order'', Mr. Roberts commented.

He suggested Government consider offering residents loans or bonds to help them get their roads repaired.

In conclusion, Mr. Roberts said Government should consider having drug rehabilitation centres in other parishes such as Sandys and St. George's. Drug addicts find every possible excuse not to enter rehabs, he noted.

Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness said Mr. Robert's presentation had "validated the borrow, tax and spend mentality'' of the PLP.

He said he could not believe Mr. Roberts had suggested borrowing money to carry out repairs to private roads. The suggestion confirmed the UBP's worst suspicions, he said.

Finally, he said the incinerator would have been on line "years ago'' had the PLP not objected to the project.

It was time the Opposition admitted the incinerator was needed and that it was a "good project'', he said.

Independent MP Mr. Stuart Hayward said the Government was guilty of expensive miscalculations about the incinerator.

Mr. Hayward said: "I suggest that the Government is looking for scapegoats for a continuing ministerial folly because money is haemorrhaging out of the incinerator project hand over fist.'' He said officials of the Swiss firm involved in the project had been flown over to Bermuda 10 times at costs of $8,000 per trip over the original schedule.

Mr. Hayward also said that the Government could have paid $70,000 for a preheater for the incinerator if it had been delivered earlier, but it would now cost them $1.4 million.

Dr. Terceira later told The Royal Gazette that the project did not require a preheater.