PPP Councillors should not support parking meters

PPP Councillors should not support parking meters – Jagdeo

Jul 17, 2016 News

…container tax, increased property tax will create hardships

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has expressed dismay about the measures the Georgetown Mayor and City Council wish to implement, particularly parking meters within the capital city, to generate revenue. Jagdeo made these remarks at a press conference held last Wednesday at his party’s headquarters.

Speaking specifically on the parking meters, Jagdeo said that the project will have an adverse effect on employment and business in the City. He believes that persons will resort to spending outside of the city instead of coming to the commercial hub.

“What if people stop coming to shop in the city? It will affect business, it will affect job creation in the city; People will say now, I am going to shop at Parika, I am going to shop at Vreed-en-Hoop, I am going to shop at Diamond and Mon Repos and other places.”

The former head of state said that the meters will drive people out of the city because they would not want to pay the fee to park every day. He said that the added cost to use city space will also affect the circulation of money.

According to Jagdeo, businesses will experience a decrease in customers. This, he said, will reduce their profits. As a result of this, the Opposition Leader posited that businesses will be forced to contract resulting in the loss of jobs.

Regarding the autonomy of the council, Jagdeo said that the government should not act as though it does not wield control over the council. He said that the APNU-AFC coalition always had control over the council, before and after the May 2015 elections. It can stop the project in its tracks if it really wanted to.

Jagdeo urged the PPP/C councillors not to support this initiative for the sole reason that it will create a harder life for Guyanese.

Additionally, the Leader of the Opposition addressed the cost for parking containers on city streets and the increase of property tax by 10 per cent.

On the issue of the intended increase in property tax, Jagdeo said that his party did not campaign on raising taxes, especially at the local government level. “Our councillors, the people appointed under the PPP/C platform should not support any increase in taxes.”

However, Jagdeo did say that he will support the enforcement of the collection of taxes. He urged NDC’s to beef up their collection, especially from persons who are in arrears of their rates and taxes.

Jagdeo while addressing the container tax said that his administration had once considered implementing it. However, this plan was set aside since central government had taken over the construction of roads in the city.

He said this was done with the expectation that it would have deferred the Council from taxing residents more so as to finance these infrastructural works.

The Opposition Leader said that he is not happy with the measures. According to him his party will not block anything which brings benefits to people. However, the City’s approach is one which his party cannot support and is calling on the PPP/C Councillors to stand up against anything which will create hardships for the nation’s people.

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