– says Local Gov’t Minister

THE Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is in full support of Carol Sooba’s confirmation as Town Clerk of Georgetown. This was made clear at the ministry’s press conference yesterday, when Minister Ganga Persaud rebutted the arguments that Sooba does not possess the qualifications for the position.

Minister Persaud said the ministry, having evaluated the candidates that presented themselves for the position, concluded that Sooba was the ‘best suited overall rounded’ candidate for the job.
He also noted that whilst the job description would have listed academic qualifications and whilst Ms. Sooba is not without such, the job description also had a number of elements to be satisfied, as any other job description.

“A job description would have varying requirements to be satisfied and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is satisfied that Ms Sooba is the best suited candidate all being equal, and so we have appointed Ms Sooba to the position of Town Clerk and for us that’s full stop,” Minister Persaud said.
Questioned as to why Sooba was not appointed the first time when the panel met, Minister Persaud explained that what has changed is that “the ministry has concluded the position in itself has run long enough, we have evaluated these people, Ms Sooba’s experience in performing the role of Town Clerk has also grown …and so, based on what was presented, we recognised that this time the best suited person with the overall competence to perform the duties of Town Clerk is Ms Sooba.”
After acting in the position of town clerk for about seventeen months, Sooba was recently confirmed as Town Clerk. She was acting in the position, replacing former Town Clerk Yonette Pluck, who, with the City Treasurer Anthony Meredith, City Engineer Gregory Erskine and Head of the Solid Waste Management Unit Hubert Urling was in the

latter part of 2012 sent on leave and subsequently fired following an inquiry in the functioning of City Hall.
That investigation revealed financial improprieties on the part of these workers.
Since the announcement of Sooba’s confirmation many, including Opposition councillors within City Hall, have questioned Sooba’s qualification for the post.
Minister within the Ministry of Local Government Mr Norman Whittaker pointed out that the Mayor and many of the councillors earlier welcomed the changes put in place by the ministry following the firing of the four workers, and Sooba’s appointment very soon after changed their tune, putting selfish personal interest in front of the goal of effective delivery of service to the residents of Georgetown.
Minister Whittaker said that evidence of improvement was noted under the stewardship of Sooba’s as acting Town Clerk. He pointed to the fact that the revenue inflow was on the increase, as the debt recovery unit became more proactive, the council’s various creditors including statutory debts were being significantly reduced, and staff were being paid in a timely manner.
He noted too, that expenditure control measures brought improvement in the council’s cash flow situation and, “No longer were we hearing about contractors withdrawing their services, and strikes…financial reports were forthcoming and with greater frequency and accuracy.”
Minister Whittaker noted that “changes are a necessary input if the way we do things are to improve. Some will welcome the changes we make whilst others will reject them, and when they do, check to see if they do not do so because it is in their own personal interest to reject the changes.  We at the ministry believe among all other things that we must commit to change, positive changes that bring desired result, not necessarily in the time span that we would wish, but positive changes,” he said.

(GINA)