Mayor Narine has failed to provide a coherent vision for the city

Dear Editor,

The recent interview on NCN’s ‘Insight’ dated Tuesday, September 17th 2019 with Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine provides a perspective that is revealing in many ways.

It is worth examining some of the contents to see why and how things continue to go wrong in a City.

The Mayor has failed, in my view, to provide a clear, coherent and consistent vision in keeping with the present existing ‘Mission Statement and Vision Statement’ of the Georgetown City Council.

The suggestion to expand the boundaries of the City must be viewed with alarm, if not consternation. Is this an attempt to garner more taxes from citizens now reeling under higher tariffs imposed by the Coalition Government? Or is it an attempt to gain political control over those areas perceived to be non-supportive of the present PNC-led APNU Coalition of which the mayor is a part and not apart.

While it has become the fashion to blame everything on the former PPP/C administration; this record is no longer viable or even credible. With over four years of a Coalition Administration the record of consistent failure has become crystal clear for all those who have eyes to see.

Why continue to shift the blame for flooding in the City on the attitudes and culture of citizens who are accused of blocking the drains and waterways, or on the erection of buildings who violate the building code resulting in blocked waterways?

It stands to reason who is in charge, those in authority must honestly admit and accept their responsibility for garbage pile ups with no viable plans for waste disposal and recycling. Suffice it to add there has been no uproar for compensation for damage caused by recent flooding and demands for losses incurred by citizens through flooding that bombarded the previous PPP/C leadership.

What about the mayor’s plans to increase taxes from January of the New Year 2020? If so by how much? Why not inform citizens in a timely manner? Citizens have a right to know the plans, whether it is local content for the oil and gas sectors or the proposed tax increases and waivers for citizens of Georgetown. The demolition of old and decrepit buildings must also be viewed with some amount of concern since big business or some persons may stand to benefit rather than the residents who are really affected.

Is the City ready to deal with national and natural disasters? What and where are the plans for the city in the event of an oil spill? Will citizens be compensated in the event of ecological systems jeopardized in the event of an oil spill? The cost of oil includes also the potential damage to the environment which must be taken into account.

Need we say more? The list is indeed a long one. We need not lose ourselves in the ‘morass’ created by the very Administration, post- Independence which seeks to blame everyone and everything under the sun, without accepting any guilt whatsoever.

The myriad of problems need to be addressed comprehensively and competently by the mayor if we are to effect change for progress. Citizens are duly fed- up. They only have to realize the power to change is greater than the power of change and the barriers will begin to crumble.

The report of the Commission of Inquiry into the operations of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown presented by the CommissionerMr. Keith Burrowes, the Akbar Khan and Sandra Jones reports, among others, were not even mentioned in the mayor’s NCN interview. Are we planning to re-invent the wheel?

On what the Mayor may want to consider a positive note, many citizens do share the Mayoral concerns, for whatever they may be worth, especially with regards to the restoration of City Hall. Credit must be given to the National Trust of Guyana which is spearheading this venture.

This a longstanding issue. City Hall is literally falling apart before our very eyes while we fiddle with the prospect of installing air conditioners in the Kitty Market, a project that is still incomplete after four and a half years. What a record! The monies for the City are largely garnered from Central Government and is largely taxpayers’ money. Is this fair? Former Mayor Hamilton Green failed to address this and several other issues in a timely manner blaming the woes of the City on the PPP/C. This is the record and for all the PNC Mayors post- independence. What is your record under your watch, Mr. Mayor? The citizens of Guyana and the world are watching. Tell us of your achievements, so far.

Mr Mayor, all we ask of you is, do the right thing! City Hall needs a complete overhaul in keeping with a new vision of transparency and accountability as we strive to return it as ‘the garden city of the Caribbean’. Are we really ready?

Yours faithfully,

Khame Sharma