The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana says it remains unmoved in its conviction that the SCS paid parking project should not proceed.
A statement today from FITUG follows:
Once again the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), which has the largest organized workers in its ranks, feels constrained to iterate its rejection of the metered parking project as currently conceived and being implemented in the country’s capital, Georgetown.
Like numerous stakeholders and thousands of Georgetown and out-of-town commuters and motorists, FITUG’s first public statement expressed concern about the projects’ negative impact. We were extremely upset that in the context of the Granger Administration’s boast about transparency and accountability, the contract, being foisted, with Smart City Solutions, was concluded between the Mayor and a selected cabal of councillors before the whole council and citizens got wind of them. FITUG, in consonance with aggrieved groups which are inclusive of Civil Society, small business persons and business places, the Private Sector Commission and a range of other non-governmental groups, raised its concerns in the public domain.
Given the widespread disenchantment and justified condemnation of the meter project, we are despondent with the Central Government’s ambivalent approach to this bread and butter/cost of living issue.
Pretending to respect City Hall’s autonomy, the government first feigned non-intervention. Then, after limited scrutiny of the shady MCC/SCS contract, both the Attorney-General’s Office and the Ministry of Finance were obliged to investigate. Both Government entities repudiated many sections of the ‘confidential’ agreement forcing a few amendments, which, as we understand still favoured the company heavily.
After several popular people-protests involving quite significant numbers of our citizens, the President himself finally thought it prudent to intervene.
FITUG however, is not persuaded by what we perceive to be a TEMPORARY compromise with the stated reductions of charges. We see these as palliatives meant to buy time as City Hall and the Mexican Company explore other schemes in pursuit of profits and revenues squeezed from the already hard-pressured population besieged today by heavy taxation, rising consumer costs and oppressive measures emanating from the Governmental bureaucracy. FITUG calls for the complete rescinding of this contractual agreement. If Government has to broker this exercise between the council and the company, so be it.
FITUG pledges its support for the cancellation of the current contract and offers its full support to Councillor and Deputy Mayor, Sherod Duncan for his principled stand against the absence of transparency in the negotiations from the outset. Mr Duncan’s stand and protestations in public is laudable and should be encouraged.
In this regard, we consider that the Mayor’s misguided arrogance against the young Deputy Mayor does no credit to their so-called “coalition policies.”
Meanwhile, FITUG joins the many organizations and groups in saying “Down with this specific Parking Meter Project!”
