City Mayor says he will concur with Local Govt. Ministry ‘reporting requirements’

May 12, 2021 News

…if Minister Dharamlall can show which law gives him such power

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall.

Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine.

Kaieteur News – Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine, has stated that he will concur with instructed ‘reporting requirements’ if Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, can show where in the legislation gives him the power to make such requests. At a press conference yesterday in the Town Council’s Chambers, Mayor Narine announced that he has received a memorandum from Minister Dharamlall’s Permanent Secretary (PS), Prema Ramanah-Roopnarine, with four reporting requirements.
In the memorandum seen by this paper, PS Ramanah-Roopnarine stated that the reporting requirements were necessary for her to effectively execute her functions and for her to have more relevant and reliable information from all 10 Regions. The reporting requirements, as set out in the memorandum, are:
“1. Monthly status report on all projects within the municipality – inclusive of monthly subvention status report – due by 9:00am every Monday.
2. Monthly financial report.
3. Monthly Minutes of statutory and special meetings.
4. Accountability framework report – due first Monday

every month.”
The memorandum was sent to all 10 municipalities.

Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Permanent Secretary (PS), Prema Ramanah-Roopnarine.

The Mayor in a letter dated May 11, 2021, addressed to Minister Dharamlall, wrote in relation to the information required, “Hon. Minister, I will concur, if you can point me to the legislation which demand such…”

Naraine further noted that he finds the action by the Ministry served to usurp the work of the Council, adding that micromanagement will not solve any of City Council’s issues and noted that if legislators upgraded the laws and by-laws, that would better equip the City Council.
Moreover, this publication tried to make contact with the Mayors of the other municipalities for a comment and was able to contact two Mayors concerning the new reporting requirements. Those two Mayors are Linden Mayor, Waneka Odetta Arrindell and Anna Regina Mayor, Rajendra Lall Prabhulall.
Mayor Arrindell stated that she is not aware of the reporting requirements since she has not been previewed on the memorandum as yet but by today, she will peruse the document, while Mayor Prabhulall who shared similar comments stated that he is not aware of the document, so he is unable to comment on the reporting requirements. He added that by today he will peruse the document.