MINISTER of Finance, Winston Jordan, has announced a series of measures in pursuit of President Granger’s challenge of building “strong regions” for a “strong nation.”     Presenting the 2015 Budget to the National Assembly yesterday today, Minister Jordan explained that the goal will be on the enhancement of local democracy to foster conditions for social cohesion, deepening democracy and advancing development in the regions and the country as a whole. To this end, Government will be promoting decentralisation, democratic engagement and empowerment, and will end the era of top-down governance, he said.
The Finance Minister said that Government will employ a multi-stage approach to rehabilitate and make fully functional the “present rotten, deficient, nonexistent system of Local Government.” This approach will entail the following: the early holding of Local Government Elections, which are expected to take place by December 2015; the institutional strengthening and the building of capacity within the 71 local organs, to enable and empower them to discharge their responsibilities; and the reform of the financial support structures of the councils.
As part of building cohesive, empowered and sustainable communities, President David Granger had taken the first step by amalgamating the Ministries of Local Government and Regional Development and Housing, to form the Ministry of Communities.
Minister Jordan, in his budget presentation, said the President’s vision to create a Ministry of Communities goes beyond the mere provision of basic serviced house lots to that of cohesive and sustainable communities, from disjointed and episodic local community services, to integrated and coordinated sustainable community services.”
He explained that the vision embraces the notion that citizens’ satisfaction is best met at the community level, by local democratic organs and not Central Government. Minister Jordan said too that the vision also encapsulates a plan of action for communities, municipalities and regional development “to boost socio-economic growth, by increasing job opportunities, and supporting existing as well as encouraging the creation of new micro, small and medium enterprises.”
According to Minister Jordan, the other focal points of the Ministry will be to promote integrated management of waste (solid waste and wastewater) as well as the reduction of non-revenue water to improve efficiency. According to the Minister, “Ultimately, this would increase the quality of service delivered to the Guyanese people, within a sustainable environment framework.”
He said to achieve this vision, the Ministry of Communities will strive to install, equip, train, retool and empower local democratic organs, to better serve their communities, to create jobs for themselves, to become involved in community-based economic ventures and investments, and to provide for their own infrastructure and community development needs.
According to the Finance Minister, “The objective is to break the stranglehold, domination and usurpation of local democratic organs and their statutory functions, as practised by the last Administration.”
The 2015 Budget was presented under the theme “A Fresh Approach to the Good Life in a Green Economy.”