Mabaruma Mayor, Town Clerk at loggerheads over estimates

Nov 16, 2019 News

A major disagreement has erupted between the Mayor of Mabaruma Region One, North West District (NWD), Chris Phang, and the Acting Town

Copy of Maria’s letter responding to the Mayor’s request.

Copy of the letter sent to Miss Maria Basheer

Clerk, Maria Basheer, over estimates.
Phang said that he had summoned Miss Basheer to a special meeting with the Mabaruma Town Council to present three things.
The mayor requested that Basheer present a detailed financial statement of income and expenditure for the fiscal years of 2016-2019, a status report on all Mayor and Town Council projects for the years, 2018-2019 and a submission of the estimated income and expenditure (budget) for the fiscal year 2020.
Mayor Phang said that his reason for wanting a special meeting with the Acting Town Clerk is solely because allegations made against her.
He claimed that he wanted her to produce these documents, to “free herself” of the allegations.
But a conflict ensued between the two after three letters were sent to Basheer and she failed to comply.
Miss Basheer on the other hand, prior to becoming Acting Town Clerk was the town treasurer and is in possession of these records.
She claimed that she did respond to the Mayor in a letter, stating that she will be available for a meeting according to the Laws of Guyana. This, she said, displeased the Mayor and sparked a major disagreement

Mayor of Mabaruma Chris Phang

between the two individuals.
The Acting Town Clerk added that according to the law, she cannot hold two positions and is in the process of resolving this matter.
Basheer said that she had already conducted an interview with someone to fill the vacant position but was disrupted and will have to redo the process.
Secondly, she stated that the Constitution of Guyana Chapter 28:01 Part 5 Sections 155(1) says “The City Council and the Town Council shall not later than November 15 in every year cause to be submitted to them estimates of revenues and expenditure of the Council for the next financial year”.
She said that her response was not intended to disrespect the Mayor in any way, “All I was doing was following the law”.
The Mayor has since written to the Local Government Commission requesting an intervention into the matter.

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