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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021
POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT
Government will not be a scapegoat for City Hall’s mismanagement – President Ali says Central Gov’t remains committed to improving conditions in Georgetown
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he welfare of the City remains paramount, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who stressed that the Government will not allow itself to be used as a scapegoat when the M&CC fails in fulfilling its responsibility and mandate. The Head of State made this assertion while responding to a recent statement made by Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine in which he claimed that the President is starving the Mayor and City Council of resources. “Let me be very clear, this Government cares tremendously about our city, but we will not allow ourselves to be used as a scapegoat in the city not fulfilling its responsibility and mandate or in the city converting everything into political opportunism or a political football. As President, we're not going to allow the Mayor to get away with a statement like this,” he said. CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO THE RESCUE The President reiterated that whilst the city is not fulfilling its responsibilities in the main-
tenance of the environment and its infrastructure and the cleaning of drainage, Central Government has embarked on a massive programme to clean the city, to clean and maintain the roadways, establish roundabouts, and maintain drainage. He said, “We have invested in pumps to ensure, as far as possible, we have improved the drainage situation in the city to prevent flooding. These are the necessary investments because as a Government the city reflects who we are as a country too. But the mismanagement of the City Council cannot be passed on to Central Government. And we have to address this; we have to address this honestly.” He pointed to the array of programmes already implemented to engage communities in the cleaning-up of various wards in the city, including South Georgetown, Sophia and Albouystown. “But this is the responsibility of the city council, and the city council continues to fail the people of the city and every time they fail the people of the city, they try to pass the buck on or pass the burden on,” Ali said.
The President added too that the Government is fully committed to ensuring that City Hall is restored. He said, “That is a project we have budgeted resources for in the budget and we are going to work on implementing.” RECORD OF DISCREPANCIES President Ali reminded that Central Government has a responsibility to ensure that resources are spent for what they are budgeted for and to ensure that there is accountability and transparency. He pointed to the discrepancies uncovered at City Hall over the years. “In accordance with Section 177 of Chapter 28:01 of the Laws of Guyana, the Council is required to prepare accounts yearly and submit same for audit no later than four months after the end of the year. The Mayor and City Councilors of Georgetown has breached this provision and continues to do so,” he said. He highlighted that in 2004, in the last audited financial statement, a disclaimer of opinion was issued by the Auditor General- a disclaimer is where
Gov’t discussing regional energy corridor with Suriname, Brazil, French Guiana
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he Government is in talks with some of its neighbours to create a regional energy corridor, linking Guyana’s energy infrastructure to Suriname’s, Northern Brazil’s and French Guiana’s. This is according to President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who said, “The strategy of Guyana is to become a major player in the energy corridor of Brazil, Guyana and Suriname.” Recent hydrocarbon discoveries in the Guyana-Suriname basin include significant gas reserves with potential, which has renewed interest in the corridor. Guyana intends to pipe gas to shore from the Liza field to substitute its current oil-fired power generation. The Liza field was the first significant oil find offshore Guyana. The Government is also operationalising plans for renewable energy projects to support its intention of creating a cleaner energy mix. The energy corridor would see the countries teaming-up to share power
based on a collective understanding of their needs and ability to supply. President Ali said the operationalisation of this plan would require development of local knowledge and capacity in the area of logistics. “Our own demand locally and the spinoff of our own investment that will see more export, would require greater logistics planning. The integration of Suriname and Brazil, creation of that new corridor, making Guyana an important shipping hub for the region, requires careful planning and development of a logistics hub and industry. And that by itself brings a stream of benefit. It’s not only what is happening in Guyana,” he said. The President also addressed the energy corridor during an April 28 press conference at State House. He said, “Later this year, we are expecting to have a meeting between Brazil, Guyana and Suriname to look at the energy corridor because as you’re aware, Suriname also has a lot of development that
is taking place in the oil and gas sector, and we have to look at what the net output would be, and what it means in supplying Northern Brazil, and in supplying French Guiana…our energy mix would be broad and comprehensive beyond our shores.” Additionally, in his address during the ceremonial opening of the 12th Parliament in February, the President said Government had already commenced discussions with its neighbours on this matter. The project had been in talks for several years, as the Inter-American Development Bank conducted baseline and pre-feasibility studies in 2016 and 2017 on what it calls the ‘Arco Norte Electrical Interconnection.’ The Bank stated that the main benefits of such a project would be lower-cost generation for all countries involved; potentially lowered electricity prices for consumers in Guyana and Suriname; more secure supply; reduced carbon dioxide emissions and export earnings, especially for Guyana.
the information submitted cannot stand up to scrutiny; in 2005, again a disclaimer opinion was issued; 2006 to 2011, no financial statements were submitted; 2012 to 2015 financial statements were submitted but the information required could not have allowed auditors to express an opinion; 2016 to 2020, again, no financial statements were submitted for the period. President Ali also revealed that in 2019, following an investigation of the M&CC, several discrepancies were revealed and reported to the Audit Office. These include; failure to remit workers National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions, failure to remit workers Credit Union contributions, failure to remit workers Guyana Revenue Authority Pay as You Earn (P.A.Y.E) deductions from workers, failure to effect payment of retirement benefits (gratuity) to a number of workers, issues surrounding the number of contracts in keeping with financial regu-
lations, transparency, and accountability, waiver of rates and taxes, rental of wharf facilities and the granting of leases. He added that as recent as March of 2021, a special audit commenced, and again similar issues were uncovered with regards to the National Insurance Scheme, Guyana Revenue Authority, and monies not paid over. “All of these were issues highlighted, where transparency, accountability and clear violations and breaches we found, yet, Central Government continues to transfer resources to the city. But how long must we, as a people, and as a Government allow this blatant disregard for transparency and accountability, this blatant disregard for the rules and laws governing the financial accountability of the Mayor and City Council? There must come a time when things will come to a head and these things have to be fixed. We cannot continue this level of mismanagement,” he said.
President Ali reiterated that while His Government is desirous of “nothing short of an excellent relationship with the city”, it will not be blamed for the City’s mismanagement nor will they disregard all of these discrepancies over the years and continue to transfer money blindly knowing of all of the irregularities. “So, I just want to make it very, very clear, that we want a partnership for the development of the city, but we cannot allow the City Council to continue to blatantly disregard what is out there in terms of its responsibility and in terms of its fiduciary responsibility. And we will not allow the Central Government to be used as a political football. Notwithstanding all of this, we are moving forward with a plan and programme to improve the welfare, well-being, living conditions, and standard of the people of the city and those who use the city and we are sparing no resources in achieving this,” the Head of State declared.
