THE Guyana Association of Municipalities (GAM) has made a call for the municipalities to be granted duty free allowance by the Ministry of Finance as is granted to Regional Democratic Councils.

The call came from GAM President Carwyn Holland, whose contention is that municipalities provide a service to the communities, and as such should be granted concession whenever the need arises to import items.
Holland used as a case in point a recent situation whereby the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) had to take a decision to pay the $400,000 duty on two compactor trucks that were bought overseas.
He said that in the municipality’s quest to be granted duty free concession, they wrote the Ministry of Finance requesting it. But although that request was denied by Finance Minister, Mr Winston Jordan, he did make some suggestions in his correspondence on the way forward for future allowances, Holland said.

“The construct of the letter would have informed us that there is nothing in the Act to permit or to give municipalities duty-free concessions,” Holland said, adding that the minister advised that they seek help from the Ministry of Communities.
Holland is now advocating for the legal procedures to be initiated earliest, for the benefit of the municipalities that import vehicles and machinery for service to the community.
“We are serving communities, we are serving teachers, we are serving students, we are serving the elderly, seniors, we are serving everyone and yet we cannot get duty free.
“I’ll be vocal; I’ll be pushing for these things, I’ll be putting these proposals to the government,” he said.

“We need a turnaround for the municipal organs; we need to be afforded duty free concessions just like anyone.”
While GAM would have already written letters requesting duty-free concession be given mayors, deputy mayors and councillors, he said the broader perspective is looking at municipalities as a whole.