The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and other relevant governance bodies continue to monitor very closely, actions by some members of the Georgetown City Council, in what appears to be a nefarious scheme to undervalue and rapidly dispose of certain city properties, notwithstanding their significance in the historical and other structural aspects of the city’s landscape, some of which form part and parcel of its recorded cultural heritage inventory.
Despite previous expressions of concern from the Government over these attempts, new reports indicate that the City Council is continuing these clandestine pursuits unabated.
The Ministry of Local Government therefore wishes to reiterate its position with clear unambiguous warnings to the City Council, that it will not condone nor stand idly by while they continue to pursue actions for negotiated disposal of the city’s assets in a manner that contravenes the high standards of accountability, transparency and adherence to the rule of law that have been established within the national governance frameworks for Guyana.
Consequentially, these reports are being taken with the utmost levels of seriousness, with the relevant authorities being placed on high alert to prevent these actions from being carried out.
Members of the City Council must understand that Georgetown and its assets, though within the management ambit of the council, do not constitute personal property in part or whole and therefore cannot be sold off based on personal interests nor based on the whims and fancies of its members, and that these plans must cease forthwith.
The City Council would be well advised to take careful note of the resolve of the Government on this crucial matter and avoid the swift and decisive consequences that would be accorded to all parties to any of these nefarious and dubious deals being contemplated, should they chose to follow through on them, despite the many warnings.
