Massive clean-up of city begins today

Aug 25, 2012 News

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–    The public will see significant improvements within a week –Keith Burrowes  

By Abena Rockcliffe

Following numerous discrepancies unearthed at the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), the Ministry of Local Government has mandated the Implementation Committee chaired by Keith Burrowes to adopt a “hands-on” authoritative role in the operations of the Council.
Speaking to Kaieteur News yesterday, Burrowes disclosed that the committee, working along with the M&CC, will be carrying out a massive clean-up exercise of the city.  The project is scheduled to start today and is expected to last one week.
Burrowes disclosed that the M&CC is incapable of fulfilling its mandate to keep the city clean, mainly because of the mismanagement of resources which led to the council being equipped with one tractor and a truck.

As a result, the implementation committee has arranged for the service of Puran Brothers and Cevons Waste Management.
In addition, Burrowes said that he has solicited two trucks from other business entities to maintain the work that will be done over the next week.
“It will be a shame for us to go back to square one, so maintenance is absolutely necessary. Also, the city constabulary will be working during the project to ensure that citizens don’t litter as workers clean,” Burrowes stated.
He also indicated that “enforcement officers” will be on the ground to observe the proceedings and also look out for litterbugs.
Further, he said that the city will be equipped with surveillance cameras, and gear has been bought for the garbage collectors to clean the city. He also revealed that money has been sourced to pay staff and plans are in motion improve the cemetery. Kokers are also being evaluated.
In terms of administration, this newspaper understands that the committee has already deployed eight persons to begin work within the “critical” departments at the Council. A number of databases are being set up, including one to manage the collection of rates and taxes, as the Council looks to retrieve monies owed to the city.
Burrowes said that the implementation committee’s work would be completed by year end.
The City Council has always lamented that it is being “financially starved by the government” while the administration points to the council’s mismanagement of the limited resources of the city.
In March of this year, Burrowes tasked Ramon Gaskin with the responsibility of carrying out an investigation to ascertain whether those recommendations were implemented and how useful they were in the day-to-day operation of the M&CC.
Gaskin’s report was expanded. It revealed numerous discrepancies within the council.
It was noted that, “there is absolutely no interest or will on the part of the senior management of the Council to carry out the recommendations of the Burrowes Commission. It is not a priority; it never was and will never be.  Simply put, they are not interested. They never were, nor never will be.”
Burrowes told this publication that to date, the recommendations have not been implemented and issues of transparency, accountability and efficiency remain.
As such the Local Government Ministry has empowered the implementation committee to put into practice the recommendations (over 40) of the Commission of Inquiry. Burrowes said that had these recommendations been implemented initially, many of the discrepancies that exist at present could have been avoided or at least minimized.
Burrowes also asserted that the M&CC does not have the administrative and technical expertise within the staff complement to ensure transparency, accountability and adequate management practices within its operation
He disclosed that the M&CC and Local Government Ministry, in recognition of the need for critical support in the form of personnel with the necessary administrative and technical skills to address the shortcomings of the M&CC, had agreed to send key personnel to the Council.
In mid-2008, based on issues raised in the Auditor General’s Report 2008, a Commission of Inquiry into the operation of M&CC was recommended. Burrowes was appointed Chairman.  The inquiry and its findings were concluded in July 2009.
The report revealed that a comprehensive investigation was conducted in “attempting” to understand the systems and procedures instituted in M&CC, and the extent to which those systems were beneficially or otherwise observed.
The Commission further explored the perceptible deviation, not only from statutory procedures and systems, but from established best practices, particularly in those departments responsible for service delivery.
The evidence revealed substantial performance gaps in such key areas as the treasurer’s department and the engineer’s department and to a smaller extent all other departments with the exception of the public health department.

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