Dear Editor
IT has been reported by the media that the Local Government Commission (LGC) is spending a whopping 91.4 percent of its total budgetary allocation on wages and salaries for its commissioners. If this is true, then it is gross mismanagement of public monies. However, I believe the real question is, what work does the commission do to help local democratic organs?

If almost all of the money allocated to the commission is spent on paying “fat cat” salaries to its commissioners, then what is left for real work? The ministry is quite right to withhold its approval to the wild and excessive behaviour of the commission. This must be the only organisation in Guyana where 91.4 percent of its allocation is paid in remuneration.

This calls for an immediate investigation. Perhaps, the government should publish what commissioners are paying themselves against the work they do and the benefits the country has gained or is gaining from the amount of money spent by commissioners.
One gets the impression that the commission somehow feels that it is a law unto itself. It is hiring its own staff and setting its own wages and salaries without any reference to the facilitating ministry – the Ministry of Communities. There is definitely cause for concern and the need for government to re-examine the operations of this commission and to set its boundaries.

One other thing, why does the commission believe it is a constitutional body? It is not. Act 2013 shows plainly that, the commission is not vested with such powers. But the composition of the commission makes for this grab for extra power and to spend money it is neither earning, nor can justify.

Regards
Radjou Prabhu