Forde says Gov’t must settle multi-billion dollars debt with City Council, forthwith

“All Guyanese should be concerned about news reports of recent default by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) Government on its payments, leading to severe neglect of essential infrastructural and other works crucial for the well-being of our city”  So said Roysdale Forde S.C, M.P.

In a statement, the Member of Parliament (MP) referenced Central Government’s outstanding bill to the Georgetown Mayor and City Council in rates which is conservatively estimated  to be $4 billion.

Forde, noting the Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s acknowledgement of the debt at his last press conference, Thursday, April 25, 2024, assailed Government for failing to honour its financial obligation. According to the MP whilst the PPP/C has been spending billions to beautify the city, it is a far-fetched ruse to shamelessly cover its wrongdoing towards the council.

The senior counsel reminded government “The Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, does not allow the government or any property owner to do works or any other activity in exchange of paying taxes to the city. Therefore, government’s spending on city facilities does not exempt it from paying its taxes.”

Forde told Village Voice News it is not about the quantum of money but the fact that it is wrong for Central Government to owe the City Council because they are setting a bad example. “If the law requires everybody must pay and the Government is defaulting then it is setting a bad example to local and foreign properties owner.”

For decades, Forde contended, the City Hall boasted a wealth of institutional knowledge and expertise in executing vital projects aimed at enhancing the lives of its residents. These, he pointed out include roads, drainage, markets, cemeteries, public health, environmental health and sanitation. “However, despite this accumulated knowledge, the city finds itself shackled by a lack of appropriate resources, exacerbated by the incumbent regime’s failure to fulfill its financial obligations.”

Recalling earlier efforts by the PPP/C to undermine the Council’s independence and work, Forde highlighted “since 1994, a PPP/C appointed Interim Management Committee concluded that the revenue base of the council was too narrow to meet the increasing needs and demands of the city. More than three decades after, with no real new revenue generating projects, the situation remains unchanged.”

The MP, who holds the parliamentary portfolio for legal affairs, said the city’s public buildings and other properties, once the pride of its citizens, now stands in disrepair due, in part, to the government’s negligence. He flayed Central Government for contributing to a city of poorly built roads, malfunctioning streetlights, dilapidated market, and other municipal buildings and inadequate waste management systems. This he said paints a worrying picture of a city struggling under the weight of governmental irresponsibility.

To reverse the crisis, Forde is calling on the government to settle outstanding accounts forthwith, pointing out that “the failure to do so not only undermines the financial stability of the council but also jeopardises the welfare of every resident who relies on functional municipal infrastructure for their daily lives.

Reminding the funds generated from taxes are vital for maintenance and improvement of city services, without which the quality of life for our citizens will continue to deteriorate, the MP said it is imperative government honours its responsibilities and pay its taxes promptly.

And if the government fails to?  The senior counsel said he “would encourage the city council to explore legal avenues to compel the regime to fulfill its obligations.”