| — Still lacks finance to pay contractorsCity Mayor Hamilton Green (standing) addresses the gathering at City Hall yesterday. Residents of Georgetown are being advised to sprinkle their accumulated refuse with disinfectant since according to City Mayor Hamilton Green,Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys, the municipality just does not have the requisite funds to reverse the current garbage crisis trend.Nonetheless, the administration of the municipality will by early today find it imperative to put in place an emergency strategy to keep the environs of the municipal markets in an acceptable condition as contractors will no longer offer their service there.Sections of the city have for just over two weeks been void of garbage collection as private contractors employed by the municipality – Cevons Waste Management Incorporated and Puran Brothers Waste Disposal Service – had withdrawn their services due to the lack of payment on the part of the city entity.The contractors had ceased collecting waste in the city that were generated through residential and other means, but had continued to offer their service at the municipal markets which are known to generate excessive amounts of waste.But with the municipality’s continued insistence that it cannot pay, the contractors have unveiled their plan to engage further intensified strike action which will see them ceasing their operation at the Stabroek Market today and at the Bourda Market on Thursday.This newspaper was also informed yesterday that Crawler and Wheeler, another contracted firm which is tasked with grading the waste at the Le Repentir Dumpsite has also threatened to engage strike action, possibly by tomorrow if they are not paid.The contractors together are owed a whopping $75 M.Speaking at a press conference yesterday,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, the Mayor sought to outline the wretched financial state that the municipality has been forced to operate under for more than a decade. According to the Mayor,China Jerseys, the capital city is currently in a state of stench as a result of garbage piling up,Cheap Jerseys, which is a situation that is unsatisfactory and unacceptable.“I would like to, on behalf of the council,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, apologise and express my regret that our citizens should suffer this indignity which is a threat to their health. The Mayor and City Council of Georgetown is far from perfect, we suffer from many administrative and other shortcomings and over the years attempts by the incumbent Mayor and Council have been made to address the systemic and administrative challenges.”Green opined that many interventions were applied over time to put the city entity in good stead, adding that at the end of the day the bottom line is money,NFL Jerseys China, which the municipal lacks. Referring to residents as the victims of the present situation, the Mayor noted that there is a background, a history and a consistent pattern over the past several years which amplifies a clear case of injustice to the capital city. “On reflection I’ve scored the government three Ds – disdain, disrespect and disregard for the city – A disgusting situation.”He related that when the council took office in 1994 it succeeded the Interim Management Committee, which was made up of a group of persons identified and appointed by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic. The IMC, according to Green operated the city for six months with a massive injection of funds from government. Nonetheless, he disclosed that government was not able to retain control and has since been bent on punishing the people for not electing them to manage the capital city.Green’s dynamic articulations were offered to an audience consisting of special invitees including representatives of opposition parties, union representatives and concerned citizens, among others.But according to Malcolm DeFreitas, who described himself as a concerned citizen who was among the invitees at the press conference yesterday, the Mayor did not adequately address the issue the municipality currently faces. DeFreitas noted that while it is evident that the issue is financially rooted, the Mayor should have been able to state precisely the amount of money required to manage and sustain the city.“He didn’t do that. He didn’t say how much money they received and what the shortfall is. You have to speak in those terms so that citizens can know,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, ‘How is my contribution going to resolve the shortfall?’”According to DeFreitas, the Mayor did not seek to mention some of the big businesses that owe the council millions of dollars and did not even seek to outline any possible resolution of the problem. “He only talked about identification and national political problems, we as citizens want to make sure that our service is done sustainably.”But according to Deputy Mayor, Robert Williams, the municipality has currently engaged several measures to encourage residents to pay their tax. He disclosed that letters have been written to the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Kellawan Lall, under whose purview the municipality falls as well as to the Minister of Finance, Ashni Singh, with regards to the fact that government owes the municipality its third quarter taxes.Acting Town Clerk, Mrs Yonette Pluck-Cort, disclosed yesterday that the municipality had seen a drop in its revenue collection during last month, thus a decision was taken to grant an amnesty to residents on accumulated interest on taxes. This move she said has since resulted in a slight increase in payment. “I couldn’t at this point say that we will make a payment tomorrow (today) to contractors but we are urgently addressing the situation,” she added.In the meantime, the municipality through its Solid Waste Management department has been ensuring that garbage is collected from sections of Central Georgetown and at schools, a development which may have to be incorporated at the municipal markets, according to Public Relations Officer, Royston King. |
