Town Clerk Royston King yesterday denied any knowledge of $8 million gifted to the Global Friendships Foundation from the Chinese Embassy to aid in the restoration and enhancement of Georgetown.
Stabroek News understands that during a courtesy call last week, China’s Ambassador to Guyana Zhang Limin enquired how the money was spent.
King told Stabroek News yesterday that no money from the donation had been handed over to the city council. He said he would like to clear the air on the issue and indicated that the Global Friendships Foundation is not in any way affiliated with the municipality.
Last November, based on a statement from the Global Friendships Foundation, Stabroek News had reported that China had donated US$40,000 to the Foundation to aid in the restoration and enhancement of Georgetown. The statement had said that Ambassador Limin had presented the $8 million cheque to Chairman of the Global Friendships Foundation, then Mayor Hamilton Green.
The statement had said that Global Friendships Foundation is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and has as its mission the promotion of cultural understanding and stimulating economic development. It had said that the NGO has also undertaken the implementation of beautification projects and has collaborated with embassies located in and assigned to Georgetown in the furtherance of its mission.
The endowment received from China, the release had said, is intended for use in projects such as: street lighting upgrades, streetscape enhancement and parks and recreational areas improvement.
In a statement dated November 30th last year, which was forwarded to Stabroek News yesterday, acting Public Relations Officer for the Mayor and City Council Debra Lewis had said that the Mayor and Councillors of Georgetown “wishes to categorically state that it is not affiliated to Global Friendships Foundation. This organization is not contracted by the Council neither does it work on behalf of the Georgetown Municipality.”
The statement had said that the money received by the NGO was not deposited in the council’s coffers nor did the council receive any proposal from the organisation to address any form of developmental works in the city.
King said they are in the process of penning a letter to inform the diplomatic community that they are in no way related to or working with the Global Friendships Foundation.
