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Mayor challenges the Government to release audit report into City Hall finances
Kaieteur News – City Mayor Ubraj Narine has challenged Vice President, Bharat Jagdeo to prove his claims that the current council of Georgetown has misused funds.
Narine responded to Jagdeo claims of misuse of funds during a press conference held at City Hall on Monday, calling on the Government to release the report based on the audit conducted into the City’s finances.
The Mayor noted that contrary to the VP’s claims, there is no evidence to suggest that the current Georgetown Mayor and City Council misused its financial resources since he took office in 2019.
As such, Narine is challenging Jagdeo to release audit report on the municipality’s finances.
City Mayor Ubraj Narine
Last Friday, Jagdeo stated it was impractical for the Government to inject funds into the City Council when it lacks transparency and accountability.
He said shortly after taking office in 2020, the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, announced that the Council’s financial records would be audited, however, to date, the 30-member council has not received a copy of the report.
Mayor Narine noted the Council‘s only issue is with the administration which the government had handpicked persons to help run the council
He said, “We are elected councillors but it is the current Government who identified and placed individuals in certain office of the municipality of Georgetown through the Local Government Commission. We may make a recommendation for a treasurer, who we think will be fit for that office; the Local Government Commission will and always overturn the decision of this legal, elected council.”
Narine continued, “For example, we recently had an incident at the level of the council where a report was sent to the Council from the Finance Committee but when we questioned it, the Office of the Town Clerk and the office of the City Treasurer already made the payment to the former Town Clerk Ms. Carol Sooba, which was a directive from the Local Government Commission unknowing to the full council”.
The Mayor noted that the Council has not begging but asking the Government for what it is their rightful entitlement as provided for under the law.
Similarly, Deputy Mayor, Alfred Mentore said the Government is mandated to offer financial and technical support to the Council.
Mentore noted that the Council saw massive developments unfold in the city, and is unable to effectively capitalize on that development because the valuation of rates and taxes has not been upgraded.
“You have people where a 10 storey or an 8 storey property is here paying the same taxes as a property that is one storey or two storey – that can’t be fair, that can’t be right, and we got to be able to change those things that the rich must be able to pay their fair share,” he added.
He noted that the Council was only allocated a $30 million subvention from Central Government and had agreed to use the funds for the construction of a new administrative building last year.
In April 2021, Town Clerk (ag) Sherry Jerrick submitted the City Council’s subvention work programme with estimates totalling $30M to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. That sum, he said was not even enough for the construction project.
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