City Mayor frowns on Prime Minister Phillips attempts for cheap political points and one-upmanship

Jun 08, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

The Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown note the recent statements attributed to the Honourable Prime Minister Brigadier (retd) Mark Phillips which was reported in the DPI publication of June 6, 2022.

There must be some grave error on behalf of the Prime Minister who possibly was ill-advised that it was his turn to attempt the usual smear campaign that has become almost predictable with the Government against the Municipality. Firstly, the Council has expressed no confidence in the City Engineer Colvern Venture following repeated challenges and failures. This decision of the Council has been forwarded to the Local Government Commission, unfortunately, over six months later there can be no pronouncement. The Honourable Prime Minister could use his good office given his interest in affairs of the city to have this matter addressed. The LGC cannot be derelict in its duty to act on the decisions of the Council to bring relief to the citizens of Georgetown.

Secondly, it must be noted that the Council has repeatedly complained about the taxes owed by state agencies which accounts for a significant debt to the city. These resources are vital to ensure consistent service is given to the citizens of Georgetown a city which continues to be pressured owing to outdated laws grappling with a changing landscape as a result of the new oil and gas economy.

Thirdly, the Honourable Prime Minister in his warnings must indicate to Government agencies such as the Ministry of Public Works and the Guyana Revenue Agency that illegal drainage works in the city will only compromise our delicate drainage infrastructure if done without consultation with the municipality. The Council has noted severalillegal construction activities in the city most recently on Camp Street in front of GRA which are being done without even the courtesy of consultation with the engineers of the Municipality. We can only hope that these works do not negatively affect surrounding drains.

Finally, the Municipality will do well if the Prime Minister can assure the citizens of Georgetown that the Government will desist from its adversarial approach to matters of the city and engage in collaboration and consultation. The Council calls on the Prime Minister to warn the Minister of Local Government that, using his words, the “nonchalant approach” to issues of the city and failure to address the policies presented by the Council; to revise the building codes, engage in a reevaluation of the city and the littering bylaws do not “demonstrate a commitment to the development of the city.”

The Council also encourages the Honourable Prime Minister to warn his colleagues that His Excellency’s “One Guyana” initiative can only be realized if all stakeholders are involved in the process. The Mayor and Councillors continue to advocate for meaningful engagement and partnerships for the benefit of the citizens of Georgetown. The Council frowns on attempts for cheap political points and one-upmanship as we work together for a better future for all Guyanese.

Regards,

Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine