City Council challenges Government to release audit report of current Council

Mayor of Georgetown Ubraj Narine announced today that there is no evidence to suggest that the current Georgetown Mayor and City Council misused its financial resources since taking Office in 2019, lashing out at Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo over his claims that the City Council lacks transparency and accountability.

Last Friday, the Vice President said it was impractical for the Government to inject funds into the City Council when it lacks transparency and accountability.

In response, the City Mayor challenged the Government to audit the Municipality’s finances. 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 said while the Vice President has laid blame at the feet of the Council, it is the Administration of the Council, which was hand picked by the Government, that has failed to operate within the boundaries of the laws governing local organs.

“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,” Mayor Narine told reporters during a press conference.

The City Mayor explained that under the instructions of the Government and Local Government Commission, the City Town Clerk and Treasurer have acted without first securing the approval of the Council.

“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 explained.

He said the Municipality did not go begging the Government for anything but sought its entitlement as provided for under the Customs Act, as he alluded to a request from the Council for duty free concession.

The City’s Deputy Mayor, Alfred Mentore said the Government is in the habit of making loose statements in the absence of empirical evidence.

He said while the Council does its best to manage its resources, as it is still short on finances. According to the Deputy Mayor, under the Fiscal Transfer Act, the Government is mandated to offer financial and technical support to the Council.

The Deputy Mayor said even as massive developments unfold in the city, the Council is unable to effectively capitalize on those 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 playing 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,” Mr Mentore said.

He said not withstanding its challenges, the Council has been using its resources to ensure that workers are paid, as well as contractors.

“We have found ways, we have out systems in place and we haven’t had a situation where we are in December, where you hear we ain’t paying we contractors, Mr Mayor, we are paying them. You not hearing the staff deh protesting in front of the gate saying they ain’t get pay, we paying them, everybody is getting paid,” he said

The Deputy Mayor said the Council deserves to benefit from the oil resources as the country grows and expands economically.