Central Government owes the Georgetown City Council millions of dollars in rates and taxes for government properties. The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government has also denied the Opposition-controlled city council from expanding its revenue base and has provided negligible resources to maintain a town whose population and business centres have grown exponentially
Inspite of the economic negligence and deprivation Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Sonia Paraj had blamed the crumbling infrastructure on the City Council
Last Friday the minister called on the Georgetown Mayor and City Council to upkeep its responsibility to maintain the drainage infrastructure and environment of the capital city. She made these remarks during a walkabout at the Stabroek Market where she interacted with vendors and stall owners.
Accompanied by city councillors and officials from her ministry, the minister was made aware of several structural issues within the market.
The roof of the shopping centre appeared to be leaking in several places, causing damage to vendors’ goods and equipment.
The local government minister in responding to the concerns affirmed that the central government will do all it can to assist, but criticised the A Partnership of National Unity (APNU)-run Mayor and City Council for abandoning its responsibilities. The minister neglected to inform of the Government’s ballooning debt to the Council and state when it will be paid.
By passing this fundamental fact Parag and continuing to undermine local government authorities not controlled by the PPP, the minister told vendors the government is looking at the state of the market and seeing what the situation is.
According to her some immediate interventions will be made to ease the strain on vendors, while other projects will be assessed and completed shortly.
And whilst the minister acknowledged people who are plying their trade and buying should do so in better condition, having accepted the present situation “is barely fit for human beings,” the PPP government has played a major role in undermining the Council’s efforts to restore Georgetown to its Garden City status.