SINCE the reintroduction of the Linden Toll Station, the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC) has been able to make some strides in paying off its approximately $250M debt to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

In addition to the workers getting an increase in wages of up to 15%, the LMTC is now able to honour its workers’ NIS monthly payments, as well as to honour the agreement to pay the scheme $200,000 monthly until the debt has been completely repaid.
To fulfill this expenditure, the LMTC is now in a position to afford the approximate sum of $1.2 M from its coffers.

According to a reliable source, the toll booth is garnering up to $7M monthly which is $4M more than what was expected. This achievement has been highly appreciated by the workers, who for years were not able to receive their social security benefits and their pensions were tremendously affected.

Several councillors had in the past expressed their disappointment in the Council’s inability to honour that commitment to its employees. “I am very happy that now it is being paid and we will be able to receive our benefits and our pension, because it was very frustrating to know that you are coming to work every day and if you want a spectacle or dentures you couldn’t go to NIS like everyone else, so I am happy for that and also for the salary increase of which we are also expecting another increase,” one employee expressed.

Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland in an invited comment also expressed some feeling of satisfaction. “I am happy that the Council is gradually getting to fulfill its obligations on the current payments and minimally on what is owed,” he said.

The Linden Mayor and Town Council, however, continues to call on the Central Government to bail out the Council since it still has a debt of over $200M to other entities, such as the Linden Electricity Incorporated (LEI). Holland said that it is a debt that was inherited from the previous Council that is affecting further development, such as the construction of roads and a much more effective garbage collection system.

“We are still in over $200M in the red and are calling on the Government to intervene and bail us out. Government did a bailout for many other entities including City Hall and GuySuco and I see no reason why Linden can’t get $250 M to put us on the right footing,” Holland said.

The Council is also calling on NICIL to repay the millions owed, since that will significantly enable them to comfortably meet their expenditures, repay what it owes and effectively serve the residents of Linden. “NICIL owes the town quite a huge sum, which adds up to more than what we are asking for if we look at the numbers,” Holland added
The Council is also calling for an increase in the Wismar- Mackenzie Bridge share of which it is currently receiving 25% of the funds garnered and 70% of the increased rates from NICIL.