CHAIRMAN of the La Grange/Nismes Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Isack Bhagwandin is urging residents to pay their rates and taxes, noting that non-payment hinders community development.

Presently, the collection rate is approximately fifty percent and the NDC is appealing with the residents to pay up, however, persons don’t seem to care and the NDC is in a fix as officials cannot find a way to make persons pay.
The chairman stated that errant residents cannot be taken to court since there are no systems in place to provide legal advice.
He further stated that, the NDC would have been able to take the errant residents to court if the region had an attorney, and there was a court that specifically handles local government cases.
However, he noted that residents are being served with notices, resulting in some persons responding while some just don’t seem to care.
The NDC which covers La Grange, Bagotville and Nismes, West Bank Demerara (WBD) has a population of approximately 500 households.
He further stated that the NDC is literally begging the residents to pay their rates and taxes so that there can be more community development for their benefit.
According to Bhagwandin, the residents are complaining that there is no development in the area, noting that they have to realise that if their rates and taxes are not paid, the people should complain less about things such as getting their drains on a regular basis.
However, quite a few residents have disagreed with the chairman’s statements, noting that they indeed pay their taxes and yet there is no development in the area.
Some of the residents believe that because they are the few that pay taxes, they deserve the services offered by the NDC despite the NDC’s complaints about not having enough collections.
Bhagwandin related that the issue of non-payment of taxes is not only restricted to the La Grange/Nismes (NDC), but is an issue that is of major concern across the country.
He noted that the subventions that the NDC normally receives is not enough to cover its expenses, but revenues generated from rates and taxes collection are used to meet day-to-day expenses.