Government is awaiting the outcome of “consultations” before it makes a final decision about the controversial parking meters contract, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said on Friday, stressing that the matter still concerns the Cabinet.
Harmon, who was speaking at a post cabinet press briefing held at the Ministry of the Presidency, said that the matter was raised at Tuesday’s meeting and it was agreed that there will be a further “level of consultation before any final advice is given by the state on that matter but we are still in the process of discussions and I believe that as soon as it arrives at a certain point we will make a determination as to what the involvement of the government is in this arrangement.”
He said Cabinet’s belief is that consultations with stakeholders should continue until a position that is beneficial to all parties is arrived at.
Pressed about government’s satisfaction with the new arrangements put in place by City Hall, which includes a relaxation of enforcement measures and a lowering of the parking fee, Harmon told reporters “we are still in consultations…we still need to be satisfied about some matters with relation to the contract itself and the way in which the matter is being dealt with.”
Harmon stated that once government was satisfied with all of the information before it, it will then make a decision in terms of the Mayor and City Council itself. “It is a contract between the City Council and a private investor and therefore the government’s involvement basically to look at it in a holistic way and to advise the City Council as to what the government’s position is,” he said.
The deal has sparked weekly protests and a boycott by motorists many of whom want it to be scrapped.
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry last month said that it was in favour of the call for the revocation of the parking meters deal.
The deal is now the subject of the court’s attention.
