– as M&CC, Commerce Chamber heads meet President
Proposals for the removal of the graveyard opposite the Bourda market on Regent Street and container parking in the city were brought to President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday when officials of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GICC) met to agree on a way forward.Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Ramesh Dookhoo, told the Government Information Agency (GINA) in an interview that clarity was being sought after there was an apparent intention to tax containers effective January 2, 2011.
A meeting with President Jagdeo was subsequently sought after dialogue between the M&CC and the Chamber on the issue was unsuccessful, and Dookhoo was happy to point out that the matter has been amicably resolved.
“It is now apparent that there is nothing like container taxes so we have clarified the matter in a very definitive way much to our happiness,” Dookhoo said.
The Local Government Minister has agreed to engage the two parties in a further discussion on the issue which will take into consideration parking hours, safety, and on-load, off-load regulations.
Senior Vice President of the GICC Frank De Abreu told GINA that the parking of heavy containers on parapets may be permissible given that those parapets are in conformity with the M&CC specifications.
The municipality and the Chamber also met the Head of State to discuss an appropriate approach to address the graveyard opposite the Bourda market on Regent Street; and according to Minister Lall, a method has been defined.
Although he was not at liberty to disclose the approach that will be taken, he said the issue has for long been in the pipeline but there has been on an impasse because of a court injunction.
“That court injunction has restrained all the people who have proposals to deal with the matter, and now I think we are having another attempt to see what can be done,” Minister Lall said.
The cemetery is believed to have been not in use for over 140 years, and according to GICC member Frank De Abreu, it is located in a highly commercial part of the city where parking and proper vending are in much demand.        
“I believe we should relocate it (cemetery) as has been done all over the world… we should remove that site, make it a prime commercial area, create jobs and put vendors in a more decent place,” De Abreu said.
De Abreu said such a move should have been made years ago and even agreed with the proposal for a monument to be erected in honour of those buried at the site. (GINA)