– City Mayor told statutory meeting

THE move by the Opposition-controlled Georgetown Mayor and City Council to provide tax waivers to political parties was prompted by a letter sent by the Alliance for Change (AFC).
According to well-placed sources, this is what the Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore, allegedly told the City Council.

Although the “cash-strapped” Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has been falling short of Georgetown residents’ expectations, the Mayor, despite the brutal backlash, unashamedly justified the tax waiver for political parties, by saying that these organisations need a “break.”

However, this decision was met with strong resistance by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Councillors who called attention to several alarming issues that the council is steeped in.
A letter penned by PPP/C Councillor Steven Jacobs noted that Monday’s decision, which was catapulted by the Opposition members, proved to every citizen of Georgetown, and by extension Guyana, that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Jacob said: “On August 26th, at the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown’s (M&CC) Statutory meeting, a ridiculous, selfish, and shameful institutional rate policy for political parties was bullied through the approval process.”

He then deemed it as “hypocritical” for a political party to demand that every citizen pays their rates and taxes, even resorting to parate execution for non-compliance, but having the audacity to institute a policy that allows political parties to pay a mere 25 per cent of their original dues all the while continuing to benefit from the only core service provided, which is garbage collection, albeit in an inconsistent manner.

Jacobs then said: “As a Councillor, I have always held a clear and open mind on any idea or suggestion proposed by my fellow Councillors, as I genuinely believe in the necessity of deliberation and diverse opinions. However, the welfare of all citizens must be the top priority. Hence, while this matter was brought before us by the Mayor, Mr. Mentore, as a request from the PNC’s coalition partner, Alliance For Change, it was decided that the matter would be further discussed, but outstanding rates must be duly settled.

“I wish to make it abundantly clear that PPP/C Councillors on Monday, the 26th, disagreed strongly and stated all of the reasons why, including seeing this document as self-centered, not in the best interest of citizens, an abuse of power, hypocritical, among others, and even pleaded with our fellow Councillors while still pointing out many of the deficiencies in the document.”
He then said that ulterior motives were at play since it was revealed that the PNCR has been a major contributor to the financial woes at City Hall, with debts in excess of $6.7 billion.
Jacobs said: “Citizens of Georgetown, and by extension Guyana, should take the opportunity to examine the significance of what unfolded right before our eyes. It’s no secret what the agenda of the leadership of this PNC-led council is, but what I can promise as a PPP/C Councillor is that we will continue to fight and advocate for the betterment of Georgetown.”

Notably, at a recent press conference, General Secretary of the PPP/C, Dr Jagdeo exposed the PNC/R’s delinquency while responding to a recent decision by the party’s city councillors to reduce tax rates for political parties.

On Monday, during the council’s statutory meeting, a policy document for institutional rates to be given to political parties was laid, which was immediately rejected by the PPP councillors.
“We dug a bit deeper and it seems as though there is specific reason for this proposal. Congress Place owes $6.7 billion, and a notice was sent to them for this sum of money.
“How do you get rates and taxes up to $6.7 billion? Clearly, they didn’t pay for a long time and the interest accrued, and now they have to pay this huge sum of money,” the PPP General Secretary said.

The PPP General Secretary further pointed out that aside from the taxes owed for the party’s headquarters at Sophia, there are outstanding debts for three other properties owned by the party.
According to Dr Jagdeo, the party owes $1.2 million, $988,000 and $3.5 million for those properties, and the recent policy amendments are to deprive the citizens of Georgetown and the main Town Council of taxes that are due to them.

Mayor Mentore skirted questions about whether the PNC/R’s Congress Place, Sophia property is registered in the name of Maikwak Limited and in a comment published by Demerara Waves on Friday, he denied any knowledge of an account in the PNC/R’s name that owes $6.7 billion.

“I am saying there is no account that I’m aware of under the People’s National Congress Reform that has a $6.7 billion dollar debt,” Mentore is quoted as saying in the Demerara Waves.