City Council receives warning from Local Gov’t Ministry against disposing of city’s assets

The Local Government and Regional Development Ministry and other relevant governance
bodies continue to monitor very closely, actions by some members of the Georgetown City
Council. The ministry said that this is 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. The ministry noted that some of which form
part and parcel of its recorded cultural heritage inventory.
It said that despite previous expressions of concern from the Government over these attempts,
new reports indicate that the City Council is continuing these clandestine pursuits unabated. As
such, the Local Government ministry therefore wishes to reiterate its position with clear
unambiguous warnings to the City Council, that it will not condone nor stand idly by. It said that
this is as the City Council 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.
it went on to state that consequentially, these reports are being taken with the utmost levels of
seriousness. It stressed that it has the relevant authorities being placed on high alert to prevent
these actions from being carried out.
The ministry warned that 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. It went on to note therefore, it 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 ministry declared that 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 what it dubbed as these nefarious and dubious deals
being contemplated, adding that should they chose to follow through on them, despite the many
warnings.