Ending CIIP invites grave economic and social consequences

TWO FEMALE Mayors of strongholds of the main opposition Peoples National Congress
(PNC) warn that ending the Community Infrastructure Improvement Programme (CIIP) in the
municipalities will have grave economic and social consequences.
Mayors Waneka Arrindell of Linden and Winifred Haywood of New Amsterdam have
complained about the unilateral nature of the decision by the Irfaan Ali government to end the
CIIP initiative which will jeopardise the livelihoods of more than 550 workers.
Said Arrindell, “I do believe that conversations between the government and the municipalities
have to be forthcoming. We cannot continue to make decisions higher up the chain without
consultations on the ground. If we continue to do that we would have failed as a people,
therefore it's important that we talk about it and we share where we are and what we intend to
do.”
The municipalities are shared between the government and the opposition based on polls held
biennially. However, it is believed that the government plans to place the CIIP under the
umbrella of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) system when it has a more clout and a
virtual monopoly on key appointments.
However, Mayor Arrindell opposes transferring the CIIP from the Municipalities.
“We need to understand something; if you continue to mix leadership and overstep boundaries of
where we are and what we should do we will get conflict. The CIIP project’s main focus is
maintenance of parapets, cleaning of drains, cleaning of places like cemeteries, open spaces,
green spaces, community centre grounds all those aspects of their programme are directly linked
to local and not regional governance. These are in the towns and their activities are specific to
municipality activities and I believe that was a reason for the development of the project,” Mayor
Arrindell said.

Mayor Haywood has already signalled that the government’s decision has elicited major
challenges in her East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six) municipality.
“We have a major challenge regarding the CIIP workers., We were told not to allow them to
work beginning the second week of January and those workers assist us in all areas of the town.
We do not know when (or if) these people will resume work,” Haywood explained.
Some 250 CIIP worker from Linden and 300 from the ‘Ancient County’ have been affected by
the decision taken by the Ministry of Local and Regional Development. The CIIP surprise
decision has helped snowball problems Mayor Haywood is wrestling with.
The New Amsterdam Mayor noted that they have a greater challenge with regards to the Local
Government Commission. She said that New Amsterdam is in chaos and the Commission must
stop dragging its feet to move on several of the employment-related issues affecting the town.
“We are hoping that the CIIP workers…and those in the health and constabulary departments can
get to work quickly. Right now, New Amsterdam is in chaos because of what is happening in our
town,” the Mayor said.
Mayor Arrindell pleaded with Local Government Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, not to throw the
550 municipal workers on the bread line in the middle of a global pandemic which has killed 176
Guyanese and 2.2 million people worldwide.
To compound hardships, some 81 million jobs were, according to the latest global figures.
“I would advise that we do not fire our people as they are already in a pandemic and already
facing other difficulties and this is a job that is needed and not just only for employment but for
the beautification of our towns. There is no way based on the rates and taxes that we collect that
we are able to sustain this project so we would suggest to this government that they leave it
where it is and as quickly as possible start that project again,” Mayor Arrindell counselled.