Written by Savitri Laikram
MINISTER of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud has indicated that after President Ramotar would have assented to three of the four local government bills the next step is to bring these bills into effect by way of an order.The minister made this disclosure last Thursday while speaking to media representatives in his Ministry’s compound.
The minister said the bills would definitely have significant and positive impact on the local government environment, although in themselves the bills have nothing to do with holding local government elections; and that is because the bills have everything to do with modernising the way in which business is done at the level of the local democratic organs, including the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and the municipalities.

The minister said that if the bills have to be singled out there would be a Local Government Commission Bill that would seek to handle according to the constitution and that most of the human resource issues affecting local authorities across the country that the Municipal and District Councils Act would have brought in among other things.

Persaud said there would be significant increases in fines and penalties providing avenues for greater collaboration between councils and residents covered by the municipalities.

He pointed out that the Fiscal Transfer Bill brought in an objective mechanism by which Government can provide support to local authority areas across the country.

“No longer will this across-the-board, one- coat-fits-all or one-shoe-fits-all (situation) operate because a formula will kick in now and determine how much of Government’s support will go to each area and that figure has the probability and possibility of changing year after year, depending on performance of the NDC or municipality.” Persaud said.

He added that a lot of the government support that will go to the municipality now in the form of subventions will be determined by and large by the council themselves and how well they work with the residents within their various local authority areas in terms of collection and payment of rates and taxes and providing services.

He said these bills do not bar the holding of local government elections noting that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)is presently in its fifth cycle of continuous registration which this is being monitored to know when there is an updated list that will determine when “we are ready to go.”

The minister said that many things are contingent to each other and most important is that the Minister of Local Government, acting on behalf of the Government of Guyana, must take into consideration the readiness of all the stakeholders with regard to the holding of elections.
He noted that a new system is being brought on board and it is important that each resident in the local authority areas be brought ‘up to speed’ and made fully aware of what are the uniqueness and special gratifications of these new systems.