Dear Editor,
Officials of the Major and City Council (M&CC) are saddled with the onerous task of instituting measures and policies to ensure the smooth and efficient management of the capital city, Georgetown. Despite our best efforts, we are hindered by several, sometimes unseen, and/or undetected stumbling blocks. It is for this reason that members of the management committees aspire to keep their ears to the ground to assess the situation(s) and implement policies to contain, or eliminate them. On Monday, August 26, 2024, the Mayor and City Council passed a motion reinforcing that properties used by political parties to enhance social justice and promote social welfare, should be assessed as institutional for rating purposes. The issue was still being debated among the councilors when Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, dressed in his classical boxing fatigues, lashed out with assertions that the pivotal objective of the motion was to write off the debts of political parties.
Allow me to categorically state that there is no truth in this outburst, especially since the Council is not vested with the responsibility nor the authority to assess properties for rating purposes; the authority and the processes involved are clearly outlined in the Laws of Guyana Chapter 28:04 Valuation for Rating Purposes. It is, therefore fitting to advise the learned Vice President that the motion is solely for informational purposes, as the council cannot unilaterally change any property’s assessed rate and classification. Suddenly, this becomes a political issue when in fact, the M&CC is merely implementing measures to serve its citizens while informing them of concomitant initiatives. Mr. Jagdeo’s fulminations are utterly baseless, albeit unsurprising, but the council will not be distracted nor be engaged in illegal transactions. The Municipal and District Council Act, Chapter 28:01 (Section 163) authorizes the council to write off accounts receivable under the Financial Regu-lations of Section 146. Since there are no Financial Regulations, the Council cannot legally write off any debts.
One absolute fact is that the city had deteriorated under successive PPP/C governments, and though efforts were made under the succeeding APNU government to restore Georgetown to its pristine state, the Capital City has, unfortunately, regressed to such a state, it is now commonly referred to as ‘the garbage city.’ Mr. Jagdeo should abort his line of rhetoric and instead, explain why his government is usurping the authority of the municipal government for political gain. If the Vice President should extract his head from the hole in the sand, I’m sure his myopic vision will automatically be broad based. He might also be somewhat surprised to know that the citizenry is not deceived and is aware of the insensitive ploys of the PPP/C. Maybe, it has missed the Vice President that the current valuation list has been in use since the late 1990s. Maybe, he needs to be reminded that since then, the population of the city has grown, and the demand for services has vastly increased. Maybe, in his haste to attack the messenger, the Vice President has misinterpreted the message. Maybe, his myopic vision has contributed to his ‘blindness’ that the council has not taken any action to impose a general rate to meet its expenditure as required under Section 204 of the Laws of Guyana, Chapter 28:01 Municipal and District County Act.
The rise in poverty among the city residents, particularly in southern George-town is also a determinant in the M&CC’s evaluation processes. An analysis of the trend has shown an increase in ratepayer delinquency since 2020 when compared with previous periods. The council is dedicated to enhancing the quality of services provided and is currently exploring multiple initiatives while engaging various partners to provide relief even as we hope for greater collaboration and cooperation with the central government. Mr. Jagdeo is valiantly attempting to distort the message as an elusive dream, but his baseless outbursts only serve to endorse the validity of the M&CC’s contentions.
Sincerely,
Lelon Saul
Lt. Col (Ret’d)
Councillor, M&CC
Chairman of the Finance Committee
