ATTORNEY General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams on Saturday said the review of the parking meters project should not be rushed and could take weeks to complete. Late last month, Cabinet took a decision to review the “controversial” contract which the city administration has kept under lock and key for fear that the idea might be copied if released.
The Government has warned that if there is any illegality arising from the review of the contract, then the city’s administration would become subject to the actions of the State’s authorities.
The Legal Affairs Minister was given the responsibility to review the document.
When approached on the matter, Minister Williams told reporters that he took only a “glimpse” of the contract early Saturday morning, having only returned from Suriname the day before.
“I did have a glimpse of it this morning and it seems very copious,” he said, while declining to give his initial perception of the document. When asked about the amount of time needed to review the contract, the Attorney General emphasised that matters of such controversial nature should not be rushed.
Once reviewed, and consulted upon, Williams said a report will be submitted to Cabinet.
But although the contract is under review, City Hall is pushing ahead with the project which Mayor Patricia Chase-Green says will commence on September 1.
Immediately following President David Granger’s visit to City Hall during which he urged that the Council be united and consult on matters of interest before decisions are taken, the city administration rolled out a model of the proposed parking meter for display in City Hall’s compound.
Town Clerk Royston King had accompanied the Mayor and councillors Junior Garrett and Oscar Clarke to Mexico City, Mexico and then to Panama where they met with officials from those countries unbeknownst to the rest of Georgetown’s elected representatives.
Revelations of the logistics were made to the Council only while en route to Panama. Minister of State Joseph Harmon has saidthat notwithstanding the pronouncement by the city’s administration that the project will be implemented by the first day in September, the advice given by Attorney General Basil Williams to Cabinet will be acted on.