…President says no attempt to interfere with the discharge of their functions will be tolerated
Members of the Local Government Commission (LGC) were sworn in on Monday for a three-year term by President Irfaan Ali who vowed that no attempts to sidetrack the work of the members will be tolerated.
The President administered the oath of office to members Clinton Collymore, Carol Sooba, Norman Whittaker, Carvil Duncan, Julius Faeber, Clement Corlette, Joan-Ann Romascindo and Nicola Trotman at the Office of the President.
Also present at the event were Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips and Ministers of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall and Anand Persaud.
In his remarks, President Ali said that a functioning LGC is imperative for development. He promised to support the body in the execution of its duties and the crafting of policies to achieve enhanced local development.
He noted that Guyana is already the fastest growing economy in the Western Hemisphere, and with its projected outlook over the next decade, there will be economic and social transformation.
“It is the Executive’s intention to ensure that the country’s forthcoming development is balanced and, more importantly, safeguarded at all levels of our society – the national level, at the level of the regions and at the community level,” President Ali said.
“Government, therefore, endorses the need for, and the constituting of, the Local Government Commission. As such, this simple ceremony brims with importance. It is a manifestation of the Government’s commitment to advancing the aims and objectives of local government authorities and specifically, to addressing the employment, transfer, disciplining, and dismissal of public officers within the local government system and the resolving of disputes within and between local government entities.”
The President added that his Government values the important role which the Local Government Commission can play in ensuring that its policies and programmes do not suffer from obstructionism, poor implementation or the absence of professionalism.
He said that he knows some of the members personally and attested to them being committed to the development of Guyana. According to the Head of State, they were deemed to have met the criteria of extensive knowledge in local government matters, administration, finance, Amerindian affairs, industry or law.
“I assure you of the support of my administration and give you my personal guarantee that no attempt at interference with the discharge of your functions specified under the Constitution and the Local Government Commission Act, will be tolerated,” he said.
