I refer to a letter which appeared in your Guyana Chronicle, Saturday, February 06, 2010, captioned ‘City Council seems not to want my taxes’. We are grateful to our citizens who continue to share their views about the different aspects of our work, these comments will indeed help us to examine our performance against prescribe goals and objectives, which will enable us to elevate our level of performance.
However, from the tone of this letter, it is clear that Mr. B Walker is quite out of touch with the operations of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council. It is public knowledge that the municipality has it shortcomings like any other public entity. However, to categorically state that public complaints are ignored is erroneous.
The Council is aware that it has a civic duty to the citizens of Georgetown and strives to do so with limited resources available. However, in any public entity there will be persons who would be satisfied and those who would be dissatisfied with service rendered or mechanism used to deliver the service. Hence, the council has put in place the citizen’s complaint desk which is responsible for addressing citizens’ complaints.
The Council has often used the media to inform citizens to utilise the citizen’s complaint desk located within the Public Relations Department to register their complaints. Further, persons with issues relating to the work of the municipality can contact the Public Relations Office at telephone number 225-2218.
For the year 2009, the complaint desk report stated that, 68 per cent of the complaints received related to issues such as road repairs, drainage and building plans. While 16 per cent of the complaints referred to Solid Waste Management issues. Also 12 per cent were of a Public Health in nature, and four per cent linked directly to the City Constabulary Department. A significant achievement is that the Solid Waste Management resolved 75 per cent of the complaints related to the Department. This fact is a clear contradiction of the views posited of Mr. Walker.
It is pellucid that Mr. B Walker did not consult with the appropriate means of seeking redress to this matter. We find it strange that Mr. Walker visited on five occasions but did not receive attention; while one person came with 11 different transactions and received service.
The Mayor and City Council does not have an overt or covert policy of discriminating against its most valued ratepayers. Even in the face of difficult circumstances the employees carry out duties with commitment and dedication. Further, in light of the socio-economic constraints in the Guyanese society, the council has established a special payment facility to help those ratepayers who are experiencing financial difficulties. Therefore it is imperative that Mr. Walker examine the broader picture.
For 2010, we will be instituting a new means of tracking all complaints. Also, the tax collection office operates from Mondays to Fridays from 08:00 hours to 16:30 hours and only on the fourth Saturday of every month.
DEBRA LEWIS
Public Relations Officer (ag)