Why do citizens put up with the Georgetown City Council?

Apr 17, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
There exists within the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown a serious failure to observe standards of honesty, best practices and fiscal integrity but rather there are several control failures, irregularities and situations in which financial improprieties take place on a daily basis unhindered. One such circumstance has to do with statutory and other deductions that are authorized by their employees to cover insurance premiums, benefit plan contributions, pension contributions etc.
The Georgetown Municipality without fail has been deducting NIS payments from employees, but has been consistently neglecting to remit the sums as required by law in a timely fashion and after a long period. Additionally the Council’s Human Resources Department routinely makes elementary errors such as providing incorrect NIS numbers; spelling employees names wrong and providing employees’ names without their NIS numbers.
These mistakes are costly to Council’s employees – both financially and in lost time – as they have to endure unacceptably long delays, ever-changing explanations and worst, enjoying no benefits at all. Regarding Pay As You Earn (PAYE) income tax, again the Council which is required to deduct and remit the taxes (PAYE) of its employees to the Guyana Revenue Authority (“GRA”) by 14th day following the month in which deductions were made, hardly ever does this; a complete disregard for the law.
According to the provisions in the 2017 budget, the Guyana Revenue Authority is expected to increase late filing penalties, institute a penalty for entities failing to keep proper books and records, and also apply a penalty for failing to present books and records when requested with an alternative of six months imprisonment..
There are several other deductions that the Council is making from their employees but failing to remit in a timely manner including credit union dues, officer’s deposit, insurance premiums etc. This state of affairs is totally unacceptable, illegal and scandalous but has been allowed over time without anyone being sanctioned. Why is this? Why are the hapless employees made to suffer whilst the senior staffers are paid hefty salaries for doing nothing?
Modi Sankar

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