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GMVU dubs M&CC/Local Government political standoff as petty and dangerous
– says Guyana will lose if it continues
The GMVU President, Eon Andrews
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Market Vendors Union (GMVU) has expressed deep concern regarding the on-going political standoff between the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), which it has dubbed as petty and dangerous. This was done through a letter published in this newspaper’s May 8, 2021 edition, penned by the GMVU’s President, Eon Andrews.
Notably, since the current government took office in August 2020, there have been high tensions between the Ministry and the M&CC. These tensions ranged from the Council being side-lined from city projects, complexities in the council receiving bailouts from the government and other issues. In fact, in January, the Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, took to a press conference to complain about the Local Government Ministry overstepping on City Council’s projects without any consultation, which he referred to as very shady.
In his letter, Andrews highlighted a recent conflict between the Ministry and the Georgetown Mayor, whereas he had not been paid his monthly stipend of $75,000 since October 2020. “The Chief Citizen has not been paid his meagre monthly stipend of Seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) since October 2020 and we were told that Central Government does not respond to M&CC’s correspondence,” he lamented. Kaieteur News had reported on the issue and it was stated that the Town Clerk and other executives of the local organ of the Georgetown Municipality are experiencing similar issues. In his interview with this publication, he stated that he would have spoken with the Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall, on the issue several times, yet nothing has changed.
To that end, Andrews posited that Dharamlall’s general performance and actions, to date, gives the impression that he bitterly despises the Mayor. The GWVU President said that his desire to hurt and embarrass Narine is impacting negatively on the operations and the very survival of the City of Georgetown, adding that “We do hope his actions or inactions are not intentional and meant to lead to something more sinister.”
Further to that, he shared that the GMVU would have heard of business entities refusing to pay millions of dollars in rates and taxes owed to the City and the Central Government is not helping in that regard, since they themselves owe the City in excess of one billion dollars. “The apparent wedge (which is widening) is adversely affecting our members (stallholders/vendors) and unlike the rich and powerful, these small business entrepreneurs have to pay their weekly/monthly rates on time,” Andrews stressed, adding that they are also faced with the on-going COVID-19 pandemic which has resulted in stallholders/vendors experiencing minimal sales and some are barely surviving. However, when the Revenue Staff turns up to collect, no moratorium is granted.
“The GMVU is of the view that if this petty but destructive political standoff does not come to an end soon, Guyana would be the only loser,” he asserted. Andrews affirmed that it is paramount for the government and the M&CC to sit together, on the same side of the table, to solve the problems on the other side. In addition, he notified that the GWVU has pledged its support for the M&CC and more so Mayor Narine.
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