Nandlall highlights PNC’s mismatch policies at Linden & Georgetown Town Councils

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall has highlighted the contradictory policies of the People’s National Congress (PNC) at the levels of the town councils in Linden and Georgetown.

Both town councils are led and dominated by politicians from the PNC. In Linden, the Mayor is PNC stalwart Sharma Solomon and in Georgetown, the Mayor is Alfred Mentore, also a PNC member.

Both town councils are also dominated by PNC members as councillors.

In Linden, Mayor Solomon has opposed the move by central government to remove the tolls from the Wismar Bridge, citing loss of revenue for the town council.

In Georgetown, Mayor Mentore is moving to waive interest on outstanding rates and taxes owed by property owners within the municipality, citing a need to relieve burdens on taxpayers.

According to Nandlall, these positions are contradictory.

“Let me show you how duplicitous these PNC councillors are. On the one hand, you have one grouping of them at the Georgetown Mayor and City Council who are masquerading as acting in the best interests of the taxpayer and rate-payer by writing off some interests for them, that is the impression that they want to convey. According to them, they want to release some pressure off a very taxed public, that is the mantra they’re running in Georgetown…they want to alleviate the burdens of cost of living…”

“Contrast that with their counterparts, another PNC grouping, at the Linden Town Council,” Nandlall highlighted during his programme “Issues in the News” on Tuesday.

As such, Nandlall questioned “what is the principle of the party? What is their philosophy? What is their ideology? Where do they stand on these matters?”

Meanwhile, Nandlall has warned that if Mayor Mentore goes ahead with the waiver of taxes, he will be held accountable.

According to Nandlall, this move by the Georgetown Town Council is a scheme to help only a few individuals.

“This is not something that is driven by a positive intent. This here is to help a few selected persons who owe large accumulated amounts of money to the Mayor and City Council including large sums of money as interest,” he said.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Sonia Parag has already written to the Georgetown Mayor threatening legal action if he proceeds with the waiver.

Parag has said while the council claims that its decision is grounded in the Municipal and District Councils Act, Cap. 28:01 of the Laws of Guyana, that legislation in fact “expressly and exclusively” vests the authority to make financial regulations in the Minister.

“Section 146(1) of the Act is unambiguous. That power lies with the Minister, not with you. Section 146 (1) states: The Minister may make financial regulations for controlling and managing financial business of councils,” she had outlined in a letter to the Georgetown Mayor.