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New council wants revamp of City Hall’s PR, other departments
The newly installed council of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC) has expressed the need for revamping of a number of departments within City Hall.
During a recent statutory meeting, members of the council, including Mayor Ubraj Narine, expressed dissatisfaction with the work of the Public Relations (PR) Department.
“It is currently a waste of money, because it is not functioning the way it is supposed to,” the Mayor said, pointing to instances where the Department dropped the ball and continues to do so.
“I got a work to do at Council and I am doing my work fairly. I come here elected as the Mayor and I’m doing my job, but the administration doesn’t seem to want to work along with me. The amount of calls I have to make to get the PR is a stress, is a tension…You have to go through about 20 people before you can reach the PR.”
“I will not contact the PR Department, I will go out and do my work; that’s how I’m gonna get my PR done. So we are paying a department…a waste of time, wasting the money of the city residen
Mayor Ubraj Narine makes a point during a meeting of the Council at City Hall.
ts,” the Mayor argued.
The Mayor charged that Town Clerk (ag) Sharon Munroe must put her foot down as it relates to the management of the M&CC. He reiterated the need for a revamp of various departments, including the PR.
During the meeting, Mayor Narine had also insisted in the interest of greater transparency and accountability, that all receipts issued by the M&CC’s Treasurer’s Department be affixed it’s Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
Narine had demanded an answer from City Treasurer, John Douglas, as to why the current receipts are not carrying City Hall’s TIN. The Mayor pointed to the fact that the laws governing the municipality require for the TIN to be affixed to the receipts.
The new Mayor urged that this practice be implemented, even for vendors who have to be issued receipts.
He noted that the M&CC had previously taken a decision to have one general receipt issued to all those doing business with the municipality.
In addition to building financial transparency and accountability, the Council also passed a motion to establish an audit committee.
The motion was brought to the table at the statutory meeting. It was moved by Councillor Denroy Tudor and seconded by Councillor Eon Bollers, who cited the need for the committee.
Tudor added that the motion for the establishment of the audit committee will see a revitalization of transparency within the municipality and the “re-cultivation of hope” in administrative work. He emphasized this is just a first step in the right direction to ensure that a new page is turned to implement best practices of accounting.
“This committee, once established, will help to provide the necessary oversight that is needed at this point in time for council. This committee, as the name states, is focused on providing clarity to auditing practices and ensuring that the practices are utilised, not only at the level of council, but can be a template for other municipalities not only in Guyana, but certainly regionally. So, with that being said, I stand in support of the motion to be passed,” Tudor said.
The matter is set to be further addressed at council’s next meeting.
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