Government hands over $9M cheque to Lethem M&TC

JUNIOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTER
ANAND PERSAUD HANDED OVER A $9M CHEQUE to the Mayor and Town Council
(M&TC) of Lethem, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) representing 50 per cent of
the town’s subvention, to undertake 17 projects.
“Because I classify you all as leaders, I expect that you all deliver goods and services to the
people of your municipality, regardless of the little constraints that you may have,” minster
Persaud told M&TC representatives.
“You went out in the various communities and you asked the people for their vote, and they
voted for you. If they voted for you, you need to deliver to them. You need to be on the ground
with the people. You need to find out the issues on the ground. You need to see how best you can
solve their issues,” he told them.
He reminded them that in another four years they will return to the people for re-election. He
stressed that once they deliver, the people will give the opportunity to serve for another five
years.
“We need to give younger people the chance. They also have a vision and you also as leaders
can set that example, so they can emulate from you, to be better than you,” he emphasised.
John Macedo, Lethem’s Mayor, among other issues, cited the need for street lighting in the
popular municipality contiguous to Brazil. Macedo appealed for government to wave the cost of
electricity for the street lights. Persaud promised to follow-up the issue.
Mayor Macedo is unhappy that the government is not forthright about projects executed in his
municipality and complained about being kept in the dark.
Any such project should be stopped so the M&TC could get the Bills of Quantity to
monitor the works, Persaud instructed.