– government engages Canadian institution

THE Ministry of Finance is providing technical assistance and expertise to the country’s valuation office to effect a mass valuation of properties countrywide, before the end of this year’s first quarter.

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, made the disclosure to the Guyana Chronicle during an interview at his Kingston office recently. The purpose is to essentially assist the municipalities to garner more finances so as to allow a ‘weaning’ of them off the government support. “Not only have I been pursuing a very vigorous agenda to ensure that the legislative authority and autonomy is respected, but very critically, that their (municipalities) financial independence is addressed,” Bulkan said.

This is the reason efforts have been made to seek Cabinet’s approval for the reform of the valuation system, “which would re-value properties to be able to provide realistic values which have not been done for over two decades; which will `wean’ them off of central government’s subventions and allow them to exercise greater autonomy,” the minister added.

“This must not be seen as an exercise in taxation but merely to provide accurate property values to councils countrywide, for the use and determination of individual councils as to what rates they would want to effect. That will be a determination that will be made individually and independently by the respective councils,” Bulkan informed.

The valuation exercise will require at least 12 to 18 months and the government is seeking to engage a Canadian institution, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), which does property evaluations for the state of Ontario and other jurisdictions in Canada and internationally.

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has often said that the re-evaluation of properties in Georgetown will significantly aid the cash-strapped municipality in providing key services to the city.