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Report to be presented to Minister Lall by next month – Keith Burrowes

Jan 24, 2009 News

The lack of an established system to accurately provide financial data and the non-availability of necessary information were cited as the main hindrances to the completion of the inquiry into the affairs of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown.
Commissioner of Inquiry Keith Burrowes made this disclosure yesterday when asked for an update on the progress of the investigation, which commenced last September at the request of Minister of Local Government, Kellawan Lall.
The Commission of Inquiry headed by Burrowes was established in July 2008 under Section 307 of the Municipality and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, to investigate the affairs of the municipality.
The inquiry was seen as relevant to address charges of financial irregularities and mismanagement, outlined in the municipality’s 2007 Auditor General Report which implicated Town Clerk Beulah Williams and City Treasurer Roderick Edinboro, both of whom have since been sent on prolonged leave.
With a support team comprising members of the municipality, representatives of the Ministries of Finance and Local Government, and a union representative, Burrowes had anticipated that he would have been able to complete the process within three months.
However, in December, this newspaper was reliably informed that the process was stalled to some extent, because of the lackadaisical way in which relevant information was being provided, primarily by the offices of the City Treasurer and the Town Clerk.
However, Burrowes somewhat reluctantly disclosed yesterday that the Commission was in the final stages of its mandate, and thus had completed a draft final report.
He noted, though, that the finalisation of the report has been negatively impacted due to the lack of an established system to accurately provide the needed financial data and by the non-availability of information in some departments.
But according to acting Town Clerk, Ms Yonnette Pluck-Cort, in an invited comment yesterday, Burrowes has been afforded all the information that has been requested of her department. She further noted that it has not been brought to her attention that the Commission has had any difficulty in getting relevant information from other departments.
Nonetheless, Burrowes disclosed that it is probable that the final report will detail critical areas of operation which the council can seek to improve with technical support. He highlighted the need for maximising current resources and restructuring the council as important factors that must be addressed in order to enhance efficiency.
The Commissioner stressed, too, that issues relative to financial resource management, as well as those raised in the Auditor-General’s report, must also be equally addressed. In this regard, a final set of meetings will be held with senior management personnel, as well as those from the council and unions.
He said that the recommendations of the commission will seek to put steps in place to help improve the operation of the municipality in the short, medium and long terms.
Burrowes pointed out that the unions will have to play an integral role in this regard, particularly when it comes to the municipal Engineer’s Department.
And based on several public requests, the Commission will host a final public hearing, next Wednesday at 17:00 hours in the auditorium of City Hall, when citizens will be invited to participate and contribute to the improvement of the city.
According to Burrowes, all meetings are expected to be completed by this month’s end, after which the report on the findings is expected to be handed over to Minister Lall within the first half of next month.
Subsequent to presenting the report to the Minister, Burrowes noted, he will meet the media to discuss the findings.

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