Georgetown: The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (GCCI) Executive Management Committee sent correspondence to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), requesting a meeting to discuss the pressing matter of the introduction of a Parking Meter System in Georgetown. During a meeting with the M&CC on June 3, 2016, the proposal for a Parking Meter System in Georgetown was mentioned and it was promised by the M&CC that before this arrangement is finalized, there will be a number of consultations held with the stakeholders of this project, one of them being the private sector.
Following that meeting, the GCCI noted there have been numerous stories within the media in furtherance of the parking meter system which includes rates and details of the agreement between M&CC and a collaborating company – all of which cannot be verified due to the lack of communication between the M&CC and primary stakeholders.
As Guyana’s leading private sector business support organization, the Georgetown Chamber stated that it has a responsibility to serve as an avenue of information and communication between government agencies and its members.
“We are therefore requesting that a Consultation Forum between the M&CC and the private sector, as promised, be convened immediately to resolve the matter at hand. Our members are made up of businesses of all categories, all of which will be unjustly and adversely affected by the parking meter system due to the costs,” the Chambers noted. “Before any binding arrangements are made, due diligence must be performed, and that includes the consultative process. The private sector must be provided with basic information regarding the parking meter system; and we must also be given an opportunity to provide critical input and recommendations. We are also deeply concerned about the M&CC’s failure to follow proper public procurement procedures in the form of an open tender process to attract various proposals that will be best for Guyana. The Chamber expects the M&CC to operate on the principles of transparency, democracy and accountability, and as such, we anticipate a timely response to this urgent matter.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.