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DARKNESS again looms for City Hall following a letter by the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) informing the municipality of its intention to disconnect electricity within a week if outstanding payments in the sum of over a billion dollars are not met. Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green, who seemed quite troubled at this latest development, made the announcement at the council’s fortnightly statutory meeting at City Hall yesterday, stating that the GPL letter he received over the weekend informed that the municipality owed $1,090,525,000.
Green said he was quite shocked that the municipality owed this much as he had heard about the municipality’s “wonderful” financial position from Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba. He feels that this move by the power company is part of a bigger plan to destroy the municipality.
Chairman of the Finance Committee Junior Garrett stood up to inform his colleagues that City Hall has been paying $7M to GPL each month. He, along with Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green expressed surprise at this development.
Chase-Green explained that under the ‘Pluck Administration’ (Yonnette Pluck was the former Town Clerk who was dismissed on account of alleged fraud), the municipality was in discussion with GPL. After Sooba’s appointment, however, Chase-Green said she called her several times to inquire if she was following up with the electricity issues.
Chase Green said Sooba informed her at one point that she was dealing with the matter on another level.
GPL could not be reached for a comment yesterday.
This is not the first time that the M&CC has had issues with the power company. In fact, GPL had disconnected electricity from City Hall in the past until a payment on the outstanding amount could be made.
Meanwhile, City Hall’s financial woes continue to get worse with each passing year. Chase-Green a few weeks ago said City Hall’s numerous liabilities outweigh the $83M in savings accumulated.
According to her, the municipality has not even fixed a foot of road, or done a single drainage work for quite a period of time because, presently, “its hands are tied.”
She said the council’s liabilities are in excess of one billion dollars and counting, and said that a comparison of revenue collected from January to April 2012 and 2013 shows that $595,852,558 were collected in 2012, whereas $588,841,292 have been collected for the same period in 2013, and this is a shortfall of $7,011,222.
Consequently, $83M in savings at the bank cannot compensate for the liabilities of over one billion dollars.
Government has time and again had to offer financial bailouts to City Hall.
Green said he was quite shocked that the municipality owed this much as he had heard about the municipality’s “wonderful” financial position from Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba. He feels that this move by the power company is part of a bigger plan to destroy the municipality.
Chairman of the Finance Committee Junior Garrett stood up to inform his colleagues that City Hall has been paying $7M to GPL each month. He, along with Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green expressed surprise at this development.
Chase-Green explained that under the ‘Pluck Administration’ (Yonnette Pluck was the former Town Clerk who was dismissed on account of alleged fraud), the municipality was in discussion with GPL. After Sooba’s appointment, however, Chase-Green said she called her several times to inquire if she was following up with the electricity issues.
Chase Green said Sooba informed her at one point that she was dealing with the matter on another level.
GPL could not be reached for a comment yesterday.
This is not the first time that the M&CC has had issues with the power company. In fact, GPL had disconnected electricity from City Hall in the past until a payment on the outstanding amount could be made.
Meanwhile, City Hall’s financial woes continue to get worse with each passing year. Chase-Green a few weeks ago said City Hall’s numerous liabilities outweigh the $83M in savings accumulated.
According to her, the municipality has not even fixed a foot of road, or done a single drainage work for quite a period of time because, presently, “its hands are tied.”
She said the council’s liabilities are in excess of one billion dollars and counting, and said that a comparison of revenue collected from January to April 2012 and 2013 shows that $595,852,558 were collected in 2012, whereas $588,841,292 have been collected for the same period in 2013, and this is a shortfall of $7,011,222.
Consequently, $83M in savings at the bank cannot compensate for the liabilities of over one billion dollars.
Government has time and again had to offer financial bailouts to City Hall.
