Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud, on Thursday tabled the final two bills that will pave the way for the holding of the long-awaited Local Government elections. The PPP/C Administration in its 2011 manifesto had made a commitment to local government elections. The Fiscal Transfers Bill 2012 seeks to give effect to Article 77 (A) of the Constitution. Its ultimate aim is to make the local authorities as autonomous as possible, and includes their ability to sustain themselves financially.
Under the present financial dispensation, the revenue sustaining the local authorities comes from rates and taxes collected.
The other piece of legislation, which is the Municipal and District Councils (Amendment) Bill 2012, seeks to revise the provisions pertaining to municipal councils.  During the course of this revision, no distinction is made between individual councils and town.
The bill also seeks to update various fines, fees and charges in order to make them meaningful in view of current currency values and present day market prices for goods and services.
These two bills were tabled and sent to the same Special Select Committee to which the other two Local Government Bills that were tabled in July were sent. Those previous bills were the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and the Local Government Commission Bill.
The main thrust of the Local Government (Amendment) Bill is to include Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) in the local government system, while making consequential amendments and increasing penalties in a number of areas. The Local Government Commission Bill meanwhile deals with all matters relating to the regulation and staffing of local government organs and with dispute resolution within and between local government organs.