City Hall received $30M subvention from Gov’t in April 2021

Contrary to recent claims by Mayor Ubraj Narine, the Georgetown City Council was indeed allocated a $30 million subvention from central government and had agreed to use the funds for the construction of a new administrative building last year.

Mayor Narine took to social media on January 17 and claimed that the APNU+AFC controlled City Hall was still awaiting its subvention from the government as he struggled for reasons to justify a boycott of President Irfaan Ali’s campaign to clean up the capital city.

The Mayor also published a letter purportedly sent to President Irfaan Ali which stated that the City Council only received “a grant of thirty million towards the Administrative Building.”

Mayor Narine wrote: “As Citizens of Georgetown, we witnessed an “Operation Cleanup” while the City Council still awaits its subvention for 2020 and 2021.”

However, documents surfaced on Thursday showing that on April 8, 2021, Town Clerk (ag) Sherry Jerrick submitted the City Council’s subvention work programme with estimates totalling $30 million to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

Later that month on April 30, a $30 million cheque was prepared for the City Council.

That cheque was presented to the Chairman of the Council’s Finance Committee and Councillor, Oscar Clarke, at a handing over ceremony at the ministry’s main office in Kingston, Georgetown on May 27, 2021.

It was agreed by both the government and City Council that the funds would be used to construct the Administrative Building.

Two cheque payments were later made to the Contractor Dave’s Construction and Supplying Establishment – on November 15, 2021, and then on December 21, 2021.

Local government organisations, which include the ten municipalities and 70 Neighbour Democratic Councils (NDCs), are allocated subventions yearly to facilitate critical work and sustain themselves, in the event that it does not have enough finances due to tax dodgers.