MINISTER within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, has vowed to do his best to address several issues facing Kwakwani when he met with members of the community’s Interim Management Committee (IMC) on  Saturday last.

The community was the last stop for the minister who, accompanied by a team of ministry officials, conducted a weekend outreach to several  Region 10 riverine communities.
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), the meeting focused on the challenges affecting the community’s market and the need to have a Market Committee set up. There are serious issues of  vendors refusing to pay required rates and taxes, the need for proper solid waste management and disposal and reinstitution of salaries for several workers attached to the IMC who have since left their posts.
Initial efforts to have a Market Committee were thwarted after a religious prayer group, according to a councillor, took a position against the move and actively encouraged some members of the community not to attend. The issue of a businessman, who hails from the Linden township, who operates five stalls but refuses to pay any monies to the council, was also brought to the minister’s attention.
Minister Whittaker in response said that the actions of a few could not be allowed to undermine the needs of the majority within the community, noting that, “Except for the persons who are operating stalls, nobody else is benefiting”.
He pointed out to the councillors that unlike other jurisdictions, constables could not be employed and used to enforce the payment of monies owed as only markets controlled by Town Councils had the legal authority to do so. A market Agreement was proposed by the minister and the need for all vendors to sign onto it was stressed, failing which penalties would be applied and enforced.
Illegal vending by several persons in and around the market will also be addressed, said Minister Whittaker who cited the need for law and order. The issue of the staffers (a clerk, two labourers and a driver) affected by the non- payment of salaries would be addressed via the Finance Ministry, Minister Whittaker promised.
The IMC was further informed that the $3M  requested for capital works such as repairs and upgrades to roads and bridges has been approved and would soon be made available. He reminded the councillors to ensure that their submission for 2014 are  made at the earliest possible date, in keeping with statutory requirements as all the other  NDCs were also in the process of doing the same.
It was suggested to the minister that a public awareness campaign be undertaken to inform residents of the measures being implemented and the need for cooperation by all. The IMC was presented with a brush cutter at the conclusion of the meeting by the minister as this was requested previously.