CHAIRMEN, overseers, and staff attached to various local government organs in Region Two, will soon benefit from training and guidance sessions to ensure that they properly execute their duties. This disclosure was made on Tuesday by the Chairman of the Local Government Commission, Julius Faerber, during an outreach held at the regional State House.
Those who will benefit from the initiative are chairmen, deputy chairmen, overseers and other staff of the eight Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and those attached to the Anna Regina Town Council. The NDCs are Charity/Urasara, Everygreen/Paradise, Good Hope/Pomona, Annandale/Riverstown, Aberdeen/Zorg-en-Vlygt, Moruka/Phoenix, Kitty/Providence and Nile/Cozier. Faerber, in his address to the officials, said the commission intends to work with the various local government bodies in the region to ensure the staff understands their functions and roles. “Our task is simple and so we will be doing several pieces of training to ensure that you are being brought to the standard that is required of you and, hence, I want to let you know that the role of Local Government Commission is to provide you the requisite training that you need,” he said.

He mentioned that whenever visits are made to the various NDCs, the commission finds that overseers are not adhering to the principles and policies of good accounting practices. He, therefore, said the commission will carry out its mandate to ensure that persons attached to the various NDCs understand their roles and the responsibilities they have to carry out.
The chairman said the commission is responsible for employing as well as disciplining staff who have failed to carry out their duties in a professional manner. He noted that working together as a team is important to achieving the commission’s mandate. “We are ensuring at the same time that the policies of our government are being adhered to. I know there are various local government agencies that want to do their own thing [but] we will not accept our local bodies deviating from the standard process and rules, and so where we find that is happening, we will take disciplinary actions,” he said. He said that the LGC, in the past, was very dormant and less visible. He assured community leaders that the present commission will be very active and plans to provide the necessary training and guidance that is required.

Meanwhile, the commission’s Deputy Chairman, Norman Whittaker, said that in the past there was a gap between the leaders and the masses and the present commission intends to rectify this. He urged the community leaders to conduct more field visits and to involve residents in the decision-making process. Whittaker used the opportunity to enlighten the leaders about the Local Commission Act, adding that every NDC should have a copy in its possession. “The Supreme law of the land said that Parliament shall establish a Local Government Commission, the composition and rules of which empower the commission as the commission deem fit all matters relating to the regulation of staffing to the local organ,” Whittaker said.
Regional Vice-Chairman, Humace Oodit, who represented the region’s RDC, welcomed the members of the commission, and noted that the RDC is anticipating that the commission will give all the NDCs in Region Two its full support. Oodit said it is also the responsibility of the taxpayers to understand how the NDC functions and how important revenue is to its functioning.

Further, the commission’s Secretary, Nickalai Pryce, said the outreach will be one of a series of outreaches that will be held in all the administrative regions in Guyana. Pryce said that the Local Government Commission is a body corporate, constitutional, and regulatory agency empowered to deal with all matters relating to the regulation of staffing of the local government organs including employment and dismissal of staff. He added that the body also deals with dispute resolution within and between the local government organs per section 13 and 14 of the LGC Act.
The act was established on October 23, 2017 under Article 78A of the Constitution of Guyana by a Commencement Order under the hand of the then minister.
Chairmen from the various NDC used the opportunity to call for regular communication from the LGC and also for necessary guidance to be given. Many of the chairmen related that their NDC is not earning much from taxes and, as such, development works are far behind.
Deputy Regional Executive Officer, Susanah Saywack and Mayor of Anna Regina, Rajendra Prabhulall, were among those who attended the outreach.