The National Assembly after six hours of fiery debate on Thursday adopted an opposition-led motion to put measures in place to restore the capital to its former glory
In the motion, which was brought before the House by APNU MP Volda Lawrence, was passed with amendments proposed by government.
The original resolve clause called on the government to utilize every machinery, work force, and agencies at its disposal and command in conjunction with the Georgetown City Council, Members of the National Assembly, the business and commercial sector, NGOs, Clubs and citizens in the removal of garbage, abandoned vehicles and builders waste as well as the de-siltation of canals and alleyways over the next three months in an effort to restore the city.
It also called for the government to establish a committee consisting of Members of Parliament, officials of the Georgetown City Council, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics to monitor the progress of the restoration of Georgetown and report to the National Assembly within four months of it being set up.
Proposed amendments to the motion were made by Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud and after hearing arguments from a total of 11 MPs, the Speaker gave a five-minute recess for the proposed amendments to be discussed.
The House later adopted the adjusted amendments to the resolve clause for the government to expand its multi-stakeholders to included MPs, officials of the City Council and relevant government ministries to develop an action plan, allocate resources to monitor the progress of the restoration. The Minister of Natural Resources will report on the progress to the National Assembly within four months.
Lawrence, opening the debate which started around 5.30 pm, said that the motion did not seek to review the mandate of the Georgetown City Council. She said that she was consumed with sadness when she saw the state of the city and realised that youths can’t have the joy of experiencing the “Garden City” of the Caribbean.
She stressed on the needed for grease traps and outlined the causes of flooding which included the fact that trenches are overgrown with weeds and are not being cleaned.
She also touched on the issue of the wanton disposal of garbage in the city.
Lawrence noted that members cannot sit in the house “and pretend that the present conditions of the city…do not affect the citizenry.” She pointed out that the conditions around Parliament Buildings speak for themselves. “We need to stop the blame game and stop it now and restore Georgetown to its former glory,” she said amidst loud applause from the other members of the opposition.
She said steps need to be taken to prevent a serious outbreak of disease and serious flooding.
APNU MP Dr Rupert Roopnaraine described the situation in the city as a “national tragedy.” He said he was surprised that such a simple motion had generated so much heat in the House.
He added that given the public health situation, including the presence of rats, the motion was one that could have been brought by the Minister of Health. The Minister of Tourism, he added, should support the motion “with energy” as well as Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment.
“How can we not feel utterly disgraced by the unkempt jungle that passes for a cemetery at Le Repentir…?” he questioned, adding that for years the country had been sitting in a solid waste disposal crisis.
He said there are several immediate measures that can be considered including the banning of Styrofoam. In relation to the City Council’s “chronic lack of funds,” he said the central government has not favoured proposals that have come from the council in relation to the garnering of revenue. The under collection of rates and taxes is another issue, he said.
The AFC’s Cathy Hughes told the House that the motion was both timely and important. She said there are too many horror stories when it falls.
According to Hughes, resolutions to the current problems need to be found. “With this motion this Parliament has the unique opportunity to declare to all of Guyana that this unfolding disaster is totally unacceptable,” she said, adding that must be done for our health and personal pride.
She said she was ashamed when visitors sought an explanation for the state of the city, adding that all citizens contribute to this current situation.
Hughes said the AFC is critical of the way the Mayor and City Council operates and is aware of mismanagement and corruption. She stressed that the government cannot remove itself from blame as it had refused to hold local government elections.
Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud said management of the city rests with the Mayor and City Council and in relation to the collection of taxes, the municipality of Georgetown’s collection rate was in excess of 75% every year, consistently. “So how severe is this under collection rate is another story,” he said, adding that out of the subvention that is allocated to municipalities, Georgetown receives 30.8%.
He said the government owes no outstanding arrears as is being claimed.
Persaud pointed out several things including the fixing of roads and the cleaning of the seawall, which fall under the City Council but has been taken over by the Ministry of Public Works. “All these are public interventions to assist the municipality in performing what is under the task sheet of the municipality,” he said adding that in terms of solid waste management government had signed an agreement with the IDB to establish the Haags Bosch landfill, but the City Council is not contributing anything to towards its maintenance. He said all the city does is collect and deposit garbage there.
He said all of the blame cannot be laid on the citizens, pointing out that people would seek alternatives if services and facilities are not provided.
Persaud also stated that the citizens of Georgetown would welcome any deliberations that address the issue of a clean and healthy environment. He said the issue before the House required a holistic approach adding that the incompetence of City Hall and other local government bodies in other parts of the country has shown that “we need to have a renewed approach.”
He said that what has been proposed in the motion will give some energy and attention to the situation, which calls for discipline. Persaud said it was because the government “cared for the people” that Le Repentir landfill was closed and Haags Bosch opened.
According to Persaud, legislation also has to be in place for this holistic approach to be effective. An environmental code to address the issue of littering, he added is being address at present.
Public education and awareness, he said, has to continue.
PPP/C MPs Joe Hamilton, who is a former city councilor, and Transport Minister Robeson Benn along with APNU MPs Joe Harmon and Basil Williams were among the others participating in the debate.
