Local authorities can work to improve the services provided to citizens

Dear Editor,

The present state of Guyana’s economy is a cause for concern for most Guyanese. As the economy bleeds, so do the NDCs and municipalities, moreso those where the PPP/C enjoys majority support and which must work to fill as much as they can of the huge void in local economic development created by the poor 2016 and 2017 national budgets. We need to respond imaginatively to the new challenges which confront us daily under the APNU+AFC government.

The government by limiting consultation to their party comrades and supporters to the exclusion of the 49% of PPP/C supporters are obviously out of touch with the political and socio-economic realities and the expectations of the Guyanese people. Indeed, most of the measures in the 2017 Budget introduced increased costs and have been bringing more hardship to Guyanese.

Local government has an important role to play in providing services to citizens and, in the process, improving the livelihood and well-being of the people. Local leaders are presumed to be closer to the people and to be better positioned to understand their needs and local circumstances, and to ensure these needs are realistic, feasible and are realized. Unfortunately, consultation by the government with the local communities has been very limited.

The participatory democracy which local government is intended to engender goes beyond merely electing representatives. It allows for active participation as an individual and as a community in the decision and implementation processes through appropriate participatory mechanisms. Though I concede that public participation can be time consuming and costly, a socially acceptable compromise must be found. Our municipal and NDC leaders and councillors must reach out to the citizens with greater frequency, planning with them and not merely for them.

Citizens’ participation is a way of gaining trust. It replaces corruption, incompetence and arrogance with consultation, inclusiveness and accountability. We must encourage citizens to get involved in public awareness and monitoring to ensure quality goods and services reach them in a timely manner. Our NDCs and municipalities must by now have developed a vision for the development of their neighbourhoods and towns. They must be proactive and work assiduously to improve the way they do things and so develop viable communities.

There are a number of measures which they ought to take in order to bring about the desired livelihood improvements about which I speak:

a) Reducing dependency on central government for financial resources by, inter alia, enhancing and widening the revenue base and reducing expenses. They should optimise the collection of rates and taxes, market fees, parking fees, building application fees, etc, utilizing the revenue collected efficiently and accounting for same. Indeed, the fiscal transfers from central government to each local authority ought to be, in keeping with the provisions of the Fiscal Transfers Act of 2013, performance oriented. The local authority can receive grants from donor agencies to finance projects or meet employment costs. It can also borrow money from the commercial banks and other financial institutions provided it has the required ability to repay. The Fiscal Transfers Act also allows a fiscal transfer from one local authority to another taking into account the mutual benefits to the two parties. I mention these because regrettably, the Ministry of Communities has not seen the need to update our local authorities with the provisions of this important piece of legislation passed under the PPP/C government and how the LAAs can benefit

More money available to councils necessarily means that more resources would be available to pay better salaries, attract a better quality of staff and to train and upgrade them. It means also that the council and its staff can reach out with greater frequency to a much wider population to address their concerns. More and better services can be provided to citizens.

(b)There is a role for private enterprise in local government areas, small though its impact may be. To the extent that these interventions make a small impact on unemployment figures and provide goods and/or services, eg, clothing and textiles, supermarkets, washbays, restaurants, etc, it is a case of action speaking louder than words. The local authorities must provide incentives to encourage private enterprise. The government is not doing so, but certainly our local authorities can.

(c) Property revaluation, recategorisation and reclassifying so that all who fall within the boundaries of the LAAs and who benefit from the services which the council provides pay the rates they ought to be paying.

(d) Addressing issues of over staffing and poor quality staff by training, upgrading, retooling, eradicating administrative corruption and incompetence and demanding accountability.

(e) Widening citizens’ involvement and their role. What about a Public Day each week allowing citizens to meet with a councillor/s and senior staff. Or a Suggestion Box?

(f) Widening and improving the quality and reliability of the infrastructure and other services provided by the council, including the servicing of kokers and pumps, cleaning of canals and drains, collection and disposal of garbage, daycare for elderly, street lighting, market/tarmac facilities, cemeteries, etc.

(g) Enhancing service delivery and widening citizens’ involvement in demanding accountability.

(h) Addressing citizens’ major concerns at the level of the local communities ‒ blocked drains, parapets unkempt, flooding, garbage strewn all around the LAA; market buildings denied upgrade and rehabilitation, ineptitude and inertia among those responsible for managing the affairs of some councils; rampant corruption. The council must be assertive and ensure that its decisions, once intra vires the relevant legislation, bye laws, etc, are carried out in a timely manner by the Town Clerk or Overseer. The latter is accountable to the council.

(i) Audits of the financial records as per the requirements of the legislation must be done, and reports, including financial reports presented to the statutory meetings of the council for discussion. So that while efforts to intensify revenue collection must be encouraged, so also must accountability to the council, the residents and the government for these resources.

We must not be complacent if we are to build effective local governance with its benefits to the people. As good councillors we must make ourselves aware, ie, we must be acquainted with the laws, bylaws, regulations, conventions and practices governing municipalities and NDCs that guide what we do. Reports from the councils’ committees’ ‒ works and finance and budgeting ‒ meetings must be prepared and submitted to the council’s statutory meetings for discussion and adoption. Also, for PPP/C councillors the party’s code of conduct must be adhered to.

Councillors should be assured that the PPP/C will continue to work with them and support their efforts to bring local democracy to the people and their communities. In the process, we expect that they will work to improve the range and quality of services which their local government organs provide for residents. By so doing, we will be able to reduce the level of poverty and inequality among the communities and its people. Whatever they do must contribute to the community good. Yours faithfully, Norman Whittaker