Local Gov’t. Minister interacts with Region 3 NDCs and residents -- NDCs chided for inactivity
Georgetown, GINA, October 6, 2011
Source - GINA
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Norman Whittaker, flanked by officials from Region Three’s Regional and Neighbourhood Democratic Council at the Best/Klien/Pouderoyen Council Office interacting with residents.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Norman Whittaker and a team of officials along with other senior officers from the Region Three Regional Democratic Council (RDC) visited a number of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) along the West Bank of Demerara, Region Three today and interacted with officials and residents.
The objectives of today’s outreach were to get to know the elected leaders of the NDCs, learn of the many projects that are in progress, ascertain challenges experienced by NDC staff and listen to residents’ concerns.
The NDCs visited were; Toevlugt/ Patentia, Canals Polder, La Grange/ Nismes/ Bagotville and Best/ Klien/Pouderoyen.
Among the varying issues raised were; lack of proper drainage and irrigation systems, and road networks, rearing of poultry and swine in residential areas, awarding of contracts to execute community works to companies instead of capable individuals within the communities, payment of rates and taxes, substandard work by contractors and lack of cooperation between staff of the NDC and residents.
Minister Whittaker in response to the concerns raised by residents said that it would be good to have these kinds of interaction frequently as the NDC, which is a tier of local government. These are intended to give the ordinary citizen the opportunity of being a part of the decision making process for the neighbourhood.
Residents at the Canals Polder Neighbourhood Democratic Council at the meeting with Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Norman Whittaker
He also said that people must pay their rates and taxes as it enables the NDC to execute additional development projects from which they derive benefits.
“If people pay taxes more work could be done as there are NDCs which purchase machinery such as tractors which assists significantly to the added development of the community,” Minister Whittaker said.
He added that resources are strictly limited as such there is need to discuss what are the priority areas that need to be addressed and have that information forwarded to central government which in turn will make inputs where needed.
“Ideally we would want to give the NDCs the type of machinery they need so they can be a part of the infrastructural development of their community but it is not possible although the economy has grown, there is still a long way to go as it pertains to further development of the country. Towards this end a limited amount of machinery is purchased with the intention of them being shared among the NDCs, but for this to happen there must be a prioritization of projects to be executed,” said Minister Whittaker.
The issues of NDCs inability to execute developmental projects in their community exist because using the subvention made available to them by central government, they cannot deliver the services residents expect, therefore residents need to to pay their rates and taxes.
Nevertheless the NDCs seek external means of income generation so as to raise capital to execute critical projects.
“Local government is therefore about people sitting and discussing with elected leaders, priority areas to be addressed for the development of the community. Though they will not always come to a decision to please all, critical areas of interest to the community and all at large will be addressed over a period of time,” Minister Whittaker said.
In closing his outreach Minister Whittaker stated that friendly exchanges make meetings lively, as they tell that residents are concerned about the development of their community.
NDCs came in for criticisms by the Minister who said “there is an absence of transparency, openness and accountability where the spending of NDC funds is concerned. People ought to have trust in the council and the only way that can be done is for the councils to conduct their affairs in a manner that is transparent, open and accounted. For all works being executed, a bill of quantity must be made available to the NDC offices which in turn will make such documentations available by posting them on public buildings so to raise public awareness in their communities,” Minister Whittaker said.
He further added that the NDCs ought to have staff dedicated to pursuing defaulting rate payers. “The approach to collecting rates owed by residents should be a friendly one, where religious institutions play a part of informing their members of the importance of paying for services they are utilizing, as this speaks to their hearts and targets their conscience,” Minister Whittaker said.
A section of the residents at the Best/Klien/Pouderoyen Neighbourhood Democratic Council in an interactive session with Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Norman Whittaker
In addressing the issue of poultry and swine rearing in the residential areas, residents were told, there are requirements about distance, cleanliness and a conducive environment for rearing and whilst there must be diversification to the agricultural sector, rearing must be done in accordance with the established ordinances and Acts and not in contravention of the law, as the breeding of such animals in residential areas, in close proximity to schools and health centres is clearly a breach of the environmental health codes.
Residents were also notified that in some instances minor work has to be conducted on koker doors and rehabilitation of some sluices particularly those at Canal No 1 Polder, however the issue of drainage comes as a result of concrete bridges that residents built, thereby making it close to impossible to execute excavation works to such drains. It was also noted that the silt has built up, which means machines need to be deployed to excavate at least two feet, and unfortunately the deployment of such machinery is impossible given the NDCs budget.
Minister Whittaker has been undertaking a series of outreaches to varying NDCs across the country to interact with both their staff and residents, to listen to and address their issues of concern. He has already visited the East Coast and Linden.
Georgetown, GINA, October 6, 2011
Source - GINA
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Norman Whittaker, flanked by officials from Region Three’s Regional and Neighbourhood Democratic Council at the Best/Klien/Pouderoyen Council Office interacting with residents.Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Norman Whittaker and a team of officials along with other senior officers from the Region Three Regional Democratic Council (RDC) visited a number of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) along the West Bank of Demerara, Region Three today and interacted with officials and residents.
The objectives of today’s outreach were to get to know the elected leaders of the NDCs, learn of the many projects that are in progress, ascertain challenges experienced by NDC staff and listen to residents’ concerns.
The NDCs visited were; Toevlugt/ Patentia, Canals Polder, La Grange/ Nismes/ Bagotville and Best/ Klien/Pouderoyen.
Among the varying issues raised were; lack of proper drainage and irrigation systems, and road networks, rearing of poultry and swine in residential areas, awarding of contracts to execute community works to companies instead of capable individuals within the communities, payment of rates and taxes, substandard work by contractors and lack of cooperation between staff of the NDC and residents.
Minister Whittaker in response to the concerns raised by residents said that it would be good to have these kinds of interaction frequently as the NDC, which is a tier of local government. These are intended to give the ordinary citizen the opportunity of being a part of the decision making process for the neighbourhood.
Residents at the Canals Polder Neighbourhood Democratic Council at the meeting with Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Norman WhittakerHe also said that people must pay their rates and taxes as it enables the NDC to execute additional development projects from which they derive benefits.
“If people pay taxes more work could be done as there are NDCs which purchase machinery such as tractors which assists significantly to the added development of the community,” Minister Whittaker said.
He added that resources are strictly limited as such there is need to discuss what are the priority areas that need to be addressed and have that information forwarded to central government which in turn will make inputs where needed.
“Ideally we would want to give the NDCs the type of machinery they need so they can be a part of the infrastructural development of their community but it is not possible although the economy has grown, there is still a long way to go as it pertains to further development of the country. Towards this end a limited amount of machinery is purchased with the intention of them being shared among the NDCs, but for this to happen there must be a prioritization of projects to be executed,” said Minister Whittaker.
The issues of NDCs inability to execute developmental projects in their community exist because using the subvention made available to them by central government, they cannot deliver the services residents expect, therefore residents need to to pay their rates and taxes.
Nevertheless the NDCs seek external means of income generation so as to raise capital to execute critical projects.
“Local government is therefore about people sitting and discussing with elected leaders, priority areas to be addressed for the development of the community. Though they will not always come to a decision to please all, critical areas of interest to the community and all at large will be addressed over a period of time,” Minister Whittaker said.
In closing his outreach Minister Whittaker stated that friendly exchanges make meetings lively, as they tell that residents are concerned about the development of their community.
NDCs came in for criticisms by the Minister who said “there is an absence of transparency, openness and accountability where the spending of NDC funds is concerned. People ought to have trust in the council and the only way that can be done is for the councils to conduct their affairs in a manner that is transparent, open and accounted. For all works being executed, a bill of quantity must be made available to the NDC offices which in turn will make such documentations available by posting them on public buildings so to raise public awareness in their communities,” Minister Whittaker said.
He further added that the NDCs ought to have staff dedicated to pursuing defaulting rate payers. “The approach to collecting rates owed by residents should be a friendly one, where religious institutions play a part of informing their members of the importance of paying for services they are utilizing, as this speaks to their hearts and targets their conscience,” Minister Whittaker said.
A section of the residents at the Best/Klien/Pouderoyen Neighbourhood Democratic Council in an interactive session with Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Norman WhittakerIn addressing the issue of poultry and swine rearing in the residential areas, residents were told, there are requirements about distance, cleanliness and a conducive environment for rearing and whilst there must be diversification to the agricultural sector, rearing must be done in accordance with the established ordinances and Acts and not in contravention of the law, as the breeding of such animals in residential areas, in close proximity to schools and health centres is clearly a breach of the environmental health codes.
Residents were also notified that in some instances minor work has to be conducted on koker doors and rehabilitation of some sluices particularly those at Canal No 1 Polder, however the issue of drainage comes as a result of concrete bridges that residents built, thereby making it close to impossible to execute excavation works to such drains. It was also noted that the silt has built up, which means machines need to be deployed to excavate at least two feet, and unfortunately the deployment of such machinery is impossible given the NDCs budget.
Minister Whittaker has been undertaking a series of outreaches to varying NDCs across the country to interact with both their staff and residents, to listen to and address their issues of concern. He has already visited the East Coast and Linden.