Businesses operating in the city owe the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) over $16.2 billion in outstanding rates and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has called upon them to honour their civic obligation.
“As one of the leading business support organizations in Guyana, the Chamber is using its voice to urge the business community to be… compliant,” a release from the GCCI said yesterday.
The release said that according to City Hall, the sum owed by commercial entities is $16,297,310,598, noting that this is revenue which is needed to facilitate the provision of critical services, as well as the restoration of Georgetown.
The release further said, the Chamber also encourages the M&CC to take legitimate action where necessary as long as it is done in a transparent manner.
The M&CC has been cash-strapped for many years and has often cited huge amounts in rates owed by the commercial sector. Last year, in an effort to collect outstanding rates, the city had introduced an amnesty programme, during which many residential defaulters, as well as some in the commercial sector paid up outstanding rates.
