That promise to bailout the City Council

Dec 31, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,
Whenever I read about the relationship that exists between the Central Government who seem to desire being the great hero, riding in on their charger to save Georgetown, the damsel in distress, I am reminded of the book ‘The Rescue of the Princess Winsome’.
These two entities clearly enjoy this self-imposed anachronistic code of chivalry and gallantry. The Government is undoubtedly attracted to the “distressed”, the depressed, needy and damaged capital city, convinced that they can “rescue” them from themselves.
It has been announced that the Ministry of Communities shall be doling out a whopping $75 million to the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown for the construction of an administrative building that will house staff currently occupying the dilapidated City Hall building, which is expected to undergo renovation.
Further, the Central Government has decided to intervene again with a 100 percent bailout now that the Council once more is unable to honour its obligation to the two major garbage contractors in a timely manner, after racking up more than 150 million in debt.
Of course, this is a complete back flip to the earlier announcements that a government bailout for City Hall was not on the cards, and in spite of the startling revelations of the recent Commission of Inquiry report.
With the Council’s Internal Auditor revealing that she was not allowed to carry out routine internal financial inspections and assessments and with the Council failing to produce qualified and audited statements in decades, it is just incredible that government would continue to recklessly bankroll the Council.
Any institution that finds itself in over $47 billion in debt to varying organisations, businesses, citizens and employees with no way of getting out should be declared bankrupt and liquidated. The COI has proven that Georgetown is not short of revenue, what it is, is that huge amounts have been squirrelled away by the ‘Top Dogs’ through illegal contracts, a bloated payroll, fraud, graft, kickbacks and backhanders.
Benjamin Franklin once said ‘Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship’.
Regards,
Kwasi Sanderson

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