Urling calls for local government elections to improve state of city

Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President Clinton Urling and other executives met with City Mayor Hamilton Green and other City Council representatives on Monday.
The aim of the meeting was to discuss issues affecting Georgetown and the possibility of charting a way forward.
Urling outlined several concerns expressed by members of the business community, relating to the city and other municipalities around the country.
The chamber president also stressed the need for local government reform, local government elections and lamented the unsanitary conditions of the city.
Urling also mentioned the chamber’s desire to see the implementation of a better waste management system.
Local Government Shadow Minister Ronald Bulkan, in his response to Urling on the issue of local government reform and elections, indicated that a Joint Task Force was initiated in 2001.
Based on this, countrywide consultations were held, which resulted in various recommendations for reform of the local government system.
Subsequently, five legislative bills were established from those consultations. However, only one was passed in previous sittings of Parliament. The remaining four have been tabled in the current Parliament, and is under review by a Special Select Committee.
Mayor Green during his remarks acknowledged that the issue of waste management in Georgetown and around Guyana is linked to the need for local government elections, in order to ensure that persons are held accountable to various responsibilities.
Additionally, the mayor indicated that a letter was written to President Donald Ramotar outlining several issues affecting the city of Georgetown. According to the mayor, the letter pointed to the need for the hosting of a meeting between government and the city, involving all stakeholders to allow for dialogue to address the issues outlined. However, that meeting has not yet been organised.
The mayor informed the business community that the City Council is currently experiencing a lack of necessary manpower and machinery, as well as the required institutional framework and financial resources to deal with the upkeep and maintenance of the city. He pointed out that the present cost of garbage collection is over 40 per cent of the city council’s total revenue.