WHILE Cabinet has approved a toll increase for the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge in the Linden mining town, Regional Chairman of Region 10, Sharma Solomon said to the media that neither Lindeners nor the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Linden Town Council were informed. 

Responding to this allegation, Local Government Minister, Norman Whittaker on Monday asserted that the Regional Chairman is “Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!”
Cabinet had given the ‘green light’ for the increase of the toll, according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon during a recent press conference. As with existing arrangements, the revenue gained through the increases would be shared between the IMC and NICIL.
In defence of the decision taken to increase the toll, Minister Whittaker stressed that communication had been maintained regularly between the subject Ministry, National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and the Linden Town Council.

BAFFLED
Whittaker was baffled by the allegations coming from the RDC Chairman as he said that “the proposals for the increase came from the IMC” for which he maintained that he was in “constant contact with the Chairman of the IMC, Mr. Orin Gordon and Town Clerk, Ms. Jonella Bowen.”
The Local Gov’t Minister some time ago held discussions with Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) Director, Mr. Winston Brassington, and Executive Interim Management Committee Chairman of the Linden Town Council, Mr. Orin Gordon at the Ministry’s Boardroom.
The aim of that meeting, according to Whittaker, was to “revisit the request of the Linden Town Council for an increase of the toll fees that are paid for the use of the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge.” This was necessary since the Minister had rejected the initial intention of the council to increase the toll without the necessary approval from Central Government.
At that very meeting with the stakeholders, a verbal agreement was made to have the proposal of the Linden Town Council resubmitted to the Ministry.
The Minister had given all assurances that once the proposal was drafted and submitted to the Ministry then the toll increase would be discussed thoroughly by Cabinet. Prime Minister Hinds too gave his word to the IMC Chairman.
He added that the decision from Cabinet was related to the IMC Chairman. While Whittaker expressed uncertainty about whether Gordon had informed Regional Chairman, Sharma Solomon, he said that the decision of Cabinet was related to the IMC Chairman.
He also noted that he would have expected the IMC Chairman to be in discussion with the Regional Chairman even before the proposals. “I would expect the IMC chairman to report [to the RDC Chairman but perhaps the IMC Chairman should have spoken with him (Solomon) before the proposal.”
Efforts to contact the Regional Chairman, IMC Chairman and the Linden Town Clerk, Jonella Bowen were unsuccessful.
Minister Whittaker has said that he first knew of the proposed increase in a newspaper article, which declared that the municipality had intended to implement the proposed toll increases with effect from September 1, 2014 by some 25%.
After consulting the Demerara River (Mackenzie) Bridge Act, Cap 51:04, and Section 11 of the Linden Municipal Toll Point bylaws, which refer to the power to increase tolls, the Minister quoted the legislation as saying: “The council shall have the power to increase tolls subject to the approval of the Minister.”
It was noted too in the bylaws which the Minister referenced that “such increases shall be in conformity with the submission of supplementary estimates and financial regulations; [to which] the Minister shall reserve the right to accept or reject any proposal for the increases or proposed increases of tolls sent to him.”
In previous times, NICIL held responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of the bridge. The IMC will receive 70 percent of revenue while the other 30 percent will be apportioned to NICIL.
Dr. Luncheon said too that the Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn was recently gazetted as the Minister with responsibility for the bridge and would sign the ministerial order permitting the increases and the sharing of proceeds.

(By Derwayne Wills)