— for occupying council reserves, says New Amsterdam mayor

NEW Amsterdam Mayor Kirt Wynter is recommending that major utility companies, such as the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), come forward and pay for the enormous amount of space they occupy on council reserves.

Wynter, during his presentation at the opening of the inaugural Municipal Conference on Friday, noted that the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) should also contribute to the coffers of the municipalities for the damages done on roads when they conduct their various operations, such as laying pipelines.

The two-day conference, organised by the Interim Management Committee of the Guyana Association of Municipalities (GAM), was opened at the Marriott Hotel and continued the following day at the Regency Suites Hotel.

It was held under the theme, “Positioning Municipalities as critical partners in national development,”and provided an opportunity for officers of the country’s nine municipalities to rap on various local government issues affecting communities.

“I wish to highlight a very important form of revenue collection which many of our predecessors have overlooked. We collectively need to step up to the heads of all utility companies and demand that they pay our councils for utilising our reserves. GTT and GPL should pay for every pole they plant within our municipalities and GWI should also contribute to our coffers by paying for the damages done on our roads and along the road shoulders when they lay their pipelines. Colleagues, I urge you to let us unite in our calls for these major companies to adhere to our demands,” stated Wynter.

On another point, he observed that the municipalities are deprived of the access to a percentage of environmental taxes that Central Government receives from importers who trade non-biodegradable items.

“At the end of each day, our councils need to boost our Public Health Departments that are tasked with the collection of solid waste. Central Government has a huge role to play by providing us at the local government level with resources that we can utilise to boost our enhancement projects and attract the relevant human resources to deal with our day-to-day activities in an efficient manner,” remarked Wynter.

ENFORCEMENT

He continued that the generation of revenue will only come through the enforcement of municipal by-laws in the various towns.

“Over the past two decades or more, our decision makers became too flexible and the bigger municipalities have suffered the consequences of the lawlessness that took place prior to the local government elections in March 2016.”

According to Wynter, inadequate revenue collection is hindering municipal progress.

“We must seek to generate funds by collecting valued property taxes, implementing hefty fines on defaulters who continue to defraud our councils, and allow our constabulary departments to take stringent actions on those who are bent on acting in contravention of our municipal by-laws.

“We would like to plea for revenue from hucksters and also revenue uplifted from GRA (Guyana Revenue Authority) within the municipality for a percentage to be awarded to the council.”

Wynter urged all Central Government agencies not to grant approval to persons unless they are compliant with all the municipality regulations. He said a letter should show that the persons received the necessary approval by the municipality.

“I must emphasise that if it’s not stamped and signed by the relevant personnel, a governing authority should not supersede that of the council.”

He urged his colleagues not to sit idly by and hope for changes, but to utilise their offices to make proposals.