Big tent and community development

Aug 13, 2022 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – Years ago, evangelical churches used to go into communities, throw up a big tent and hold crusades sometimes for an entire two weeks. These attracted large crowds and converts.

The PPP/C government is adopting the same approach when it comes to community development. A team of Ministers and government officials are descending on communities, erecting big tents and holding public assemblies.

The government team would make some speeches, listen to the complaints of the residents and then and there make an announcement.

The government for example went to Pigeon Island and announced G$80M for infrastructural development. The same pattern is repeating itself in other communities – the government visits and then promises some interventions. The government decides how much money is allocated and on what it is spent.

The approach is wrong. It is a top-down approach. The government should be sending in a team of planners to work with the NDCs, RDCs and the residents to develop a long-term development plan for each community. This plan would make provision for all the things which residents want fixed, including roads, bridges, streets lights, playfields and drainage and irrigation.

Once there is a development plan for the area, the issue now boils down to financing. Everything cannot be done at the same time. But with a plan residents will know what works to expect each year. They will also know what share of those works government will finance and what portion they will have to shoulder.

The government cannot fix all the roads in all communities in this country. There are hundreds of communities across Guyana. The government simply cannot find the monies, not now or in the future, to assume responsibilities for building and maintaining community roads, much less to add on to this, street lights, bridges, drainage, irrigation garbage collection and playfields.

This is one of the mistakes which the Sports Ministry is making. It is going around assisting clubs and improving grounds. But for every ground and clubs which they assist, there are 50 more which are in a deplorable state.

The monies are simply not there and will not be there for government to assume responsibility for community infrastructure and services. This has to be the function of local government.

The responsibilities for community roads, street lights, bridges, street lights and sanitation are that of the NDCs. These NDCs however do not have the resources. But they have the potential to take care of their own needs.

No government, however,  be it PPP/C or APNU+AFC wants to do what is necessary to ensure that local councils can raise adequate resources to undertake works. None of the parties want to do so since it will involve residents paying realistic rates and taxes, a move which is politically unpopular.

But how else can there be community development unless communities are able to better provide their own services? At present the rates and taxes paid by residents are pitiful. In most cases, the amounts cannot cover the cost of garbage collection.

Members of the public like to claim how they pay their taxes but do not get the services they deserve. But how can you get street lights, roads, garbage collection, drainage and other services given the pittance which is charged for rates and taxes. So long as these rates and taxes are not increased and increased substantially, there can be no community development.

The governments that have ruled Guyana know what is to be done. A revaluation of properties and a fairer rates and taxes is needed. Presently, businesses are being gouged. They are paying too high rates relative to what is being surcharged to residential premises. The system needs to be made fairer.

The APNU+AFC had made an attempt to pilot a revaluation exercise in New Amsterdam. But nothing has been heard so far as to what became of this. To do a revaluation of all properties in Guyana will take time, cost a lot of money and will be fraught with disputes and contestations.

A simpler solution would be to assess rates and taxes based on area rather than value with some areas, such as gated communities and residential and industrial zones, paying a higher tariff. Such a system will allow for local councils to drastically transform their revenue base.

But do not tell that to the PPP/C or the APNU+AFC. Increasing rates and taxes will not win them votes, quite unlike the big tent which results in handshakes, back-slapping and selfies.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

 

 

 

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