… as Treasurer Meredith complains of sleepless nights
THE financial situation at the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) continues to get worse as the months go by, and outstanding amounts owed to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), among several other institutions, are so distressing that Treasurer Andrew Meredith is complaining of sleepless nights.
“It bothers me. I can’t sleep. The situation is so dire. Imagine we haven’t paid NIS since last year,” Meredith told those in attendance at the Council’s fortnightly statutory meeting yesterday, when called upon to provide an update on the municipality’s current position.
“I have been part of the system of allowing us to break the rules. Since last August we have not paid NIS. How much longer am I required to continue to break the law?” Meredith lamented.
Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green chided Meredith for revealing details that were uncalled for, and requested that he address the question that was raised by Councillor Junior Garrett on the current financial position of the council.
“All Council has asked for is a figure. How much we owe in totality and our present deficit. Don’t let’s do the fangle-dangle,” Mayor Green commented.

But Meredith charged that the council’s finances are being dealt with, too much, in isolation. “We have to understand how we got here. In fact, we are still here because nothing has changed in terms of the salaries bill!”
Councillor Junior Garrett requested that the standing orders be suspended so that the financial issues could be discussed. He subsequently pointed out the fact that council workers were only paid June salaries one week ago, and hence the question of timely payments for July.
“My prediction is that we can’t pay salaries after today…we cannot, cannot, cannot… pay salaries after today,” Meredith reported, adding that a mere $75M in taxes was the total collected for the month of June.
According to Meredith, the council’s liabilities at the end of April amounted to more than $980M. In excess of $600M is owed to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and over $200M to miscellaneous creditors.
Garbage contractors have not been paid since March, and the amount owing to them stands between $68 and 70M. At the end of June, Meredith continued, the council owed GPL close to $780M. Small contractors are also owed since last February, in the vicinity of $12M, and there is $130M outstanding for NIS and Pay as you Earn (PAYE).
Meanwhile, Councillor Patricia Chase-Green criticized Town Clerk Yonnette Pluck whom she said was supposed to be up-to date with details on the council’s finances. Before Meredith was present at the meeting yesterday, the Mayor asked Pluck to relate some of the financial details, but the Town Clerk remarked that the Treasurer was the fittest person to do so.
Pluck instead stated that a meeting was held in the Mayor’s office last Friday with all Heads of Department and its results would be presented to the Finance Committee at a meeting slated for Wednesday.
Interestingly, though, Chairman of the Finance Committee and Deputy Mayor, Robert Williams, stood up to say that he was not aware of such a meeting on Wednesday.
Chase-Green rejoined that the Town Clerk is in effect insulting the Mayor by saying she has no details on the finances when, in fact, she was present at the meeting in his office.
The councillor reminded the meeting that even though meetings may be held with senior council officials, it is the council that should be permitted to make any final decisions.
“No meeting called in the Mayor’s office can make definite decisions. I’m asking that things be done in the proper way,” she remarked.