City Hall begs govt to pay $40 mil subvention

Georgetown Mayor and City Council is appealing to the government to pay outstanding subventions. The lack of proper and adequate funding is hampering the city’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic City Mayor Ubraj Narine said in a statement on Monday.

“I am appealing to the Government of Guyana to facilitate the payment of the two subventions, for the release of municipal funds,” the Mayor said on Monday as he explained that all markets need to be closed “to facilitate full sanitization of the stalls and drains around the markets,”

These monies could be used to clean the municipal markets as well as other shopping areas. City Hall has been sanitizing the markets with the little resources it has access to.

“The Municipality is yet to receive its budgetary subventions of ten million dollars for 2020 and 30 million dollars for 2021. Meanwhile, two hundred million dollars is set to be handed by the Government of Guyana to employees working in an unproductive sugar industry,” Mayor Narine said in his statement.

“The city markets need to be closed to facilitate deep cleaning for full sanitation to aid in reducing and spreading COVID-19 in and across the city’s shopping areas,” the Mayor explained,  “the city sprays and fumigates the markets weekly to maintain a healthy environment and prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is now time for a deep cleanse of the Markets as the rise in the infection of COVID-19  and deaths is spiraling out of control.,” he pointed out.

The Mayor said that these monies would also be used to buy equipment needed to bolster the city’s solid waste removal and management.