Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine has challenged the current administration to do a full financial audit of the Mayor and City Council following allegations of financial irregularities leveled by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo last week.
President Bharrat Jagdeo claimed that there is a lack of transparency and accountability within the council. He noted that the administration would not provide funds to a council that is questionable with the management of its funds.
Mayor Narine however rejected the claims, stating that in 2020, the council was audited. He noted that all financial records were handed over to the Ministry of Local Government. The Mayor said that since then, the council has not received that audit report.
The Mayor then lambasted the government for getting involved in the affairs of the council. “We are elected councilors but it is the current government that identified and placed individuals in certain offices of the municipality of Georgetown through the Local Government Commission,” the Mayor said.
He continued, “We may make a recommendation for a treasurer who we think will be fit for that office and the Local Government Commission will always overturn the decision of this legally elected council,” the Mayor said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore said the allegations made by the Vice President are baseless. He alluded to massive infrastructural development and how the council loses revenue through the valuation of rates and taxes in the city. He noted that an update to the current valuation mechanism is needed.
“You have people where a 10 storey or an eight storey property is here paying the same taxes as a property that is one storey or two storey – that can’t be fair, that can’t be right, and we got to be able to change those things that the rich must be able to pay their fair share,” the Deputy Mayor said.
He noted however that while there may be financial challenges, workers and contractors are paid for their services to the City of Georgetown.
“We have our systems in place and we haven’t had a situation where we are in December, where you hear we ain’t paying our contractors. We are paying them. You not hearing the staff deh protesting in front of the gate saying they ain’t get pay, we paying them, everybody is getting paid,” he said.
