Dear Editor,
I have to bring to your attention the grave mistake made in your Stabroek News publication dated, May 19, 2014, page 14, under the caption ‘Beterverwagting/Triumph NDC Chairman calls for local gov’t elections.’ It was stated. “He however explained that last year they caught a lucky break and were able to expend a total of $66M because of the sale of lands. This break still could not fill the funding gaps to address the needs of the community.”
I did not mention to Mario Joseph anything about the $66M received by my council for the sale of lands last year. What I did mention was that this year 2014, the council intended to sell a parcel of land in the Industrial Area and the proceeds would greatly enhance our revenue to carry out needed development projects in the community.
Editor, the statement wrongly published in your newspaper has been causing me much embarrassment, and I hereby request that a correction be published. I further wish to mention that I visited the Stabroek News office some time in June 2014 and reported this matter. Mario Joseph, the reporter, was not in the office and I was directed to someone with whom I shared my concern and he promised me that he would alert Mr Joseph to my complaint and have the mistake corrected. Up until now I am not aware of any action being taken. I am being embarrassed by my Councillors and members of the community as a result of that inaccurate publication.
Yours faithfully,
Bruce Adams
Chairman
Beterverwagting/Triumph NDC
Editor’s note
The reporter did not say the NDC had received $66 million from the sale of lands last year; what he indicated was that the council was able to expend $66 million as a consequence of the sale of lands – ie, there had been an increase in its total budget to $66 million. Furthermore, it was not stated in the report what proportion of that $66 million budget was accounted for by the land sale.