Rosehall IMC gets support from Gafoors

Apr 27, 2009 News

ROSE HALL TOWN, CORENTYNE – A corporate citizen has come to the assistance of the Municipality.

Last week the Management of Gafoor’s, Rose Hall made a trailer available for the dumping of refuse in Rose Hall South for an indefinite period. The vehicle remains the property of Gafoor’s.

The trailer to be used by residents.

The Rose Hall branch of Gafoor’s set up the vehicle, which would be parked at the southern end of Independence Avenue during the day and returned to the company at evenings for safekeeping. The cost of the trailer is $750,000.

Finance Officer Subrina Rupan is hoping that through this initiative there would be a significant reduction of garbage within the Rose Hall area.

Bhadenauth Somrah, Chairman of the Rose Hall Town Interim Management Committee, said that his Municipality is thankful for the move by Gafoor’s and urged other business entities within the town to make similar gestures.

According to Mr. Somrah, since 2007 the garbage collection and disposal have improved significantly and many persons no longer dump garbage recklessly.

The Chairman of the Interim Management Committee, while indicating that many residents are cooperating with the council, pleaded with the remainder to do what is right to preserve their environment.

In 2007, the Rose Hall Interim Management launched a pilot programme and under this, residents were able to purchase garbage bins and the venture was a success.

The rates and taxes collection has always been a bugbear for the council and in any given year never more than 50 percent of the projected amount is collected. Defaulting taxpayers owe the municipality in excess of $29 million and this dates back to 1988 and keeps growing every year.

Last year, collection dropped by 30 percent, as against 2007. Only $5.1 million was collected in 2008 and the previous year the figure was $7.3 million.

The Chairman attributed this to a number of situations including the fact that many persons do not honour their obligation to make the payments and this affects the pace of development.

The $8 million subvention paid to the Rose Hall Interim Management Committee by government would be used to rehabilitate roads, desilt the drainage network and improve minor streets among others.

He said that the municipality is hoping to receive its subvention by June.