Chairman of the Implementation Committee of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council Commission of Inquiry, Mr. Keith Burrowes, has said the Council hopes to engage the Private Sector Commission in what is hoped to be a mutually beneficial collaboration for capacity building. Speaking to this reporter in an interview on Saturday, Burrowes said that the Council, having been studied by the Commission of Inquiry that he himself headed, will seek collaboration with various stakeholders, like the private sector.
Burrowes said it was only on Friday that the Implementation Committee of the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations had a meeting with the Private Sector Commission and the Finance Committee of the Mayor and City Council.
He said that the PSC is committed to supporting the Council in ensuring that the members of the various private sector organizations pay their rates and taxes. Burrowes said that the PSC is willing to assist in supporting garbage collection once information is supplied to them.
Of the collaboration between the Committee and the Private Sector, Burrowes said: “I am very grateful for the support. But the Council has to recognize that the support of the Private Sector [will not be without the expectation that the Council will deliver value for money in services].” He expressed the hope that the collaboration will be of mutual benefit.
The Chairman said that the Implementation Committee also hopes to have a deeper working relationship with Government.
Burrowes said one of the issues that came out of the Commission of Inquiry is that of transparency and accountability. “The Implementation Committee has decided to have a process of keeping the public informed,” he said, adding that the City owes the public the provision of information. “We hope that this could be the first step towards building confidence in the Council,” he said, adding that easier audits and clean financial reports will happen sooner or later. Burrowes was adamant that financial information must be provided to the public as part of the efforts to ensure accountability and he received support from Chairman of the Finance Committee, Robert Williams.
Burrowes said transparency and accountability came out as key during the consultation process. He expressed the hope that with the provision of information to the public, perceptions about lack of transparency will be dissolved.
The Chairman said that notwithstanding the media reports surrounding the Mayor of the City of Georgetown, the work of the implementation Committee will continue undeterred. He said the media focus on the Mayor and his trips around the world will not affect the work of the Implementation Committee, the Finance Committee and the Treasurer’s Department in perusing revenue collection.
He said one major problem that the Council faces in its services provided is inefficiency in almost every area and the cost of implementation of services being grossly overstated. “The cost of providing services is significantly higher because of lack of management. Lack of management can cause one mile of road to [cost double what it should]. If we could reduce inefficiency, not only would provision of services be improved, but cost will be reduced,” said the Chairman. Further, the Implementation Committee will be meeting with the Council very soon to discuss a 25 percent reduction in expenditure in identified areas.
The Implementation Committee has provided the necessary accounting software and hardware at no cost to the Council; and because of this, we have accounts on a daily basis. But he said that there is a need for training of staff and the filling of the key positions like those of Town Clerk and City Treasurer.
Chairman Burrowes said that the Council has been very accommodating and supportive of the work of the Implementation Committee. He said that even if there is a change in the policy-makers at City Hall, he does not see this negatively affecting the work of the Committee. He said that the plan will see changes in management to ensure that people are competent in their jobs. He said that this is one of the factors that put greater pressure on the members of the Implementation Committee.
Burrowes said that the work of the Implementation Committee cannot just fall by the wayside since nothing in the recommendations was deemed as unmerited. “They (M&CC) have recognized the current extensive deficiencies in the Council,” he said.
The Council’s total expenditure as of the end of May 2010 is approximately $639M. The majority of 46 percent of the amount was for payment of salaries, 12 percent going towards removal of garbage, 9.3 percent being disposal of solid waste. The amount expended for the period January to May 2010 is approximately 31% of the total budgeted figure for the year 2010.

Below are charts showing revenues earned, revenues and expenditures by departments, estimates against actual in 2009 and projected revenue by departments for 2010.