– Major discrepancies in $2.7 billion budget cited as cause for its delay
MAJOR discrepancies in the $2.7 billion 2011 Budget of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC)  have resulted in a delay of its presentation, Public Relations Officer Royston King disclosed  yesterday. He told the Guyana Chronicle it is the reason Chairman of the Finance Committee and Deputy Mayor Robert Williams and other councillors were meeting.
According to Mr. King, who has been recommended to take up the Town Clerk post but is awaiting its confirmation from Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Kellawan Lall, the estimates were supposed to have been presented between last Monday and Wednesday.
“Nothing is accurate right now. The (budget’s) focus appeared to have been drainage at one point. Then it was moved to solid waste. It’s not clear at present,” he informed.
King said there is also the issue of restoring City Hall piece by piece, a process which is expected to commence this year.
He anticipates, though, that the budgetary proposals will be announced sometime next week.
However, Councillor Junior Garrett, who also spoke to this newspaper, following the meeting yesterday, speculated that the presentation would be done within two weeks.
Though not wishing to speak about the details prematurely, he said officers of the Municipality are now putting in clarifications and corrections.
Mr. Williams had, previously, gave a time frame of between late December 2010 or the first week in January and said it would deal with the reduction of staff and restructuring to cater for a reduced workforce.
He had also stated that the emphasis would be on drainage, solid waste and roads but including emergency works, such as repairs to the Concert Auditorium in City Hall.