It is clear Govt.’s policy is to punish the Capital and pulverise the M&CC

Jul 11, 2010 Letters

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The Editor,
Monday 5th July, 2010 Guyana Times carried three letters related to the Georgetown Municipality titled, “Who will fix the City in preparation for Tourism”?
“Garbage pile up is a disgrace” and “It was a low act to remove GT&T Billboards”.
No one, least of all the Mayor, can disagree with the sentiments expressed in these letters.
The first letter poses a vital question – we can fix the city, provided we get the genuine support of Central Government as is the case elsewhere in the modern democratic world. This is how a democracy should operate. To fix any city, require the three M’s – Management, Material and Money.
With sufficient money the other M’s can be obtained quite easily – material, manpower and management.
I have made this point time and time again, the Government appointed Interim Management Committee since 1994, even with state funding and cooperation for obvious reasons, said that if the city was to be given proper service, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council needed to broaden its revenue base, in other words to earn money in addition to taxes.
After Local Government elections, the first proposal made directly to the acting Head of State by a delegation headed by the Mayor and including Ms. Philomena Sahoye-Shury and the Town Clerk sought permission to have a Lottery.
This was turned down; the Government said that a Lottery would upset the religious community. Within a few months, the idea was hijacked by Government and the massive funds earned from lotto are spent as the Government leaders deem fit. Every other proposal to garner money was rejected.
The most recent being a Council approved proposal, to use the garbage at the Le Repentir dump site to generate electricity offering it to the nearby communities at a special rate. If we had this project approved the money generated would have been available to pay the contractors to collect and dispose of the tons of garbage generated in the city and brought in to the city from areas outside of the city.
At the opening of the Kitty Pump station I raised the issue, His Excellency response was that they are concentrating on Hydro-power (Amaila Falls).
Another example, the Milk Plant – no taxes paid for years – owes $45million – the property in Kingston is still owned by Government according to our records.
We have several shortcomings within the city municipality, but some intractable difficulties are outside of our control.
Just a few examples:-
1. The law requires a revaluation of properties in Georgetown every three years. This has to be done by the Government Valuation Division; this comes under the control of the Ministry of Finance.
That department moves at a snail’s pace, in so far as that important exercise is concerned. So we have small dwelling converted to large buildings or to businesses and we cannot collect the higher rate because of no new valuation.
2. A State created Agency has been disposing of several high value properties in the city. The method is not our concern at the moment, but the registry has been persuaded to effect change of ownership without, as is required by law, a certificate of compliance from the City Council, so the new owners quite understandably refuse to pay the back taxes due to us by the state agency.
The GPL is a classic example – we are taking about millions owed to us. When we submitted demand notices to GPL they contend that when they acquired the assets of GEC (building and land) they were not required to settle outstanding taxes – a most unusual situation.
3. When (as we have been doing) move to the courts, the pains of appeal and delays are beyond belief.
4. We have written and pleaded with the Minister of Finance to pay us their taxes for the second and third quarter – due and payable $102 million, so far no response.
5. Among similar cases is the Milk Plant, still Government property as far as we know they owe us $48 million.
It is crystal clear the policy is to punish the Capital, pulverise the mayoralty until both the citizens and the Mayor cave in. We will then be told that only a PPP dominated council in the city can deliver the goods.
So much for democracy and the concept of shared governance.
Allow me to refer to the other letter about destroying the GT&T billboards. They were placed on our parapets, the law is clear but you see this type of activity brings us some revenue, so a big bad bully sends a clear message to the Private Sector, do no business with the city. Unhappily we now seem to have a toothless fawning Private Sector group – where else could a Government Minister with chainsaws cut down signs approved by the competent authority and except for a few letters and the Kaieteur News front page a deepening silence – where is the Chamber of Commerce, the Private Sector Commission and those who clamoured for a return to democracy? Forget the Mayor and City Council pro temp – is not GT&T a company in Guyana?
Forget how the Mayor and City Council Car Park, a money generating enterprise, was seized by the State bosses – no notice – no explanation and no compensation.
By this letter and other means, I will not be silenced even though the fascist regime, it appears, invested sums in some quislings to evict the Mayor.
The other letter dealing with persons who walk about the city, and contribute to ugliness, I raised this with the Minister of Health some time ago. He was quite receptive and I know took some action, but this problem needs to be dealt with boldly by a multi agency task force.
I once made a suggestion for an Island of Rehab’ dation – away from populated centres.
The struggle continues.
Hamilton Green,
J. P., Mayor

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