…President urges setting aside of political interest for common goals
Following a meeting with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Georgetwn, President Irfaan Ali has committed the Government’s payment of $100M in advance taxes to City Hall.
The commitment was made during an engagement with Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine, the Deputy Mayor Mr Alfred Mentore and a ministerial team at State House on Monday.
It was made in the interest of ensuring Central Government and the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) forge a better relationship for enhancement of the city.
According to a press release from the OP, President Ali and the group discussed a range of issues affecting City Hall.
One of which was City Hall and its adjacent buildings which hold important historical value and are in need of maintenance.
“These things will cost a fortune to rehabilitate. But we have to start. We will pay a sum of the Government taxes in advance towards these projects. So we can have approval on that, so you can move that forward,” the President told the Mayor.
Also in attendance were Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall; and Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud.
Among the other areas discussed was the implementation of a ‘Single Window Permitting System,’ which will have linkages to several key agencies and which will address issues of slothfulness.
According to the Head of State, this mechanism will also address criticism of corruption and will go a long way towards improving the investment climate in the city itself.
In addition, the team discussed the “sprucing up” of the capital, especially for Guyana’s 55th Independence Anniversary and the allocation of the necessary funds to make this a reality.
President Ali said too that the issues of congestion and parking were paramount since structured systems are the hallmark of modern cities.
He proposed that the City Council work in tandem with the Private Sector to achieve infrastructure projects such as the enhancement and maintenance of parapets and drains in key parts of Georgetown as well as the construction of modern parking facilities.
President Ali noted too that collaboration between Central Government and City Hall is vital in addressing key and critical issues which affect the city.
“How do we build a deeper, more structured relationship between what the Government does and what the city does? I understand that at the level of the Council the type of arguments that are made there, there are different political interests there, but there must be a place in which you can reach out to the Minister, and we can discuss important issues that are critical and key for the city itself,” the President put forward.
He reiterated that with the major transformation expected and the impending big projects on the horizon, there will be a greater need for strengthened collaboration between Central Government and the M&CC.
In turn, according to the OP, Mayor Narine used the forum to address challenges faced by the Council, including outstanding taxes.
He assured the President that as Mayor, he is willing to work along with the Government for the benefit and development of the city and its citizens.
“I know you have spoken many times about procrastination, at the level of many agencies within the M&CC. We want to discuss how we can be able to implement some of your strategies, some of your vision so that we can be able to work with the investor and the business community at large, so that we can be able to deliver in a more timely manner,” Narine proposed.
Following the engagement, the Mayor expressed appreciation to the Head of State for hosting the “fruitful meeting” and said that he is looking forward to similar collaborations and further engagements between the M&CC and Central Government.
“I want to thank the President for reaching with us—the Mayor and City Council; myself and the Deputy Mayor. We had numerous discussions and we are looking to work along with the Government for the development of the City and its people,” he said.
Previously, in February 2021, Mayor Narine had complained that Narine said that though he had reached out the the President for a meeting on several occasions such was either not facilitated or postponed.
According to the OP, the Mayor now looks forward optimistically to the swift fulfilment of promises made and corporation between Central Government and City Hall.
