The Linden Town Council has called out Prime Minister Mark Phillips over his claim that the Town Council is responsible for the present state of the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge owing to poor maintenance.

The Prime Minister’s statement came following Sunday’s collapse of a section of the pedestrian walkway of the bridge. A female motorcyclist and her child were left dangling from the bridge along with her bike. They were both rescued, with the mother sustaining injuries.

In a statement today, Mayor Sharma Solomon reminded that the Town Council has never had the responsibility of maintaining the bridge and that responsibility has always been with Linden Mining Company, which falls under the Government’s holding company, NICIL.

The Council noted that even with the revenue-sharing arrangement, minor repairs were consistently carried out by LINMINE, while major repairs were funded through the Ministry of Works through annual budget allocations.

The Council emphasised that it has never held responsibility for the operation or maintenance of the bridge, adding that all decisions regarding toll levels, including increases or removals, were made solely by the Government of Guyana.

The Council said the Prime Minister needs to set the record straight and acknowledge that the responsibility for the bridge’s maintenance has always lain with the relevant government agencies, not the Council.

The Council said it has also noted with concern that the government has not been remitting its portion of the profit share to the Council as agreed, which has adversely affected the Council’s capacity to perform its civic duties effectively.

The Linden Town Council said the Prime Minister should verify facts before making public statements that may impact the reputation and operational capacity of the Linden Town Council.

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