Georgetown: Finding nothing illegal with the contentious parking meter contract, the government of Guyana has recommended that City Hall engage an accountant regarding the proposed rates and fees stipulated in the contract.
The contract, which the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) administration signed with National Parking systems (NPS) in May, is seen as heavily in favour of the concessionaire, according the government.
The APNU+AFC government had mandated the Ministries of Legal Affairs and Finance to review the contract after it was shrouded with much controversy and secrecy. The government had warned that if there is any illegality arising from the review of the contract, then the city’s administration would become subject to the actions of the State’s authorities.
The contract had been kept under lock and key by City Hall for fear of it being copied. On Thursday, Cabinet Secretary Joseph Harmon told a post cabinet media briefing that two reports were submitted to Cabinet for perusal.
One was submitted by the Ministry of Finance and another by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams. Harmon informed that “there was nothing illegal about the contract”. However, he said that a review of the documents indicated that its terms of conditions were burdensome and favoured NPS.
He said the Attorney General has recommended that an accountant be engaged by the council to review the contract’s rates and fees and to offer advice.
He said that Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan was informed of the recommendations and according to him, Bulkan informed that he has written to the city council on the matter in that regard.
Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green has said the project will commence on September 1. The contract’s details had been kept in the dark from members of the council.
Town Clerk, Royston King accompanied the mayor and two other councillors, Junior Garrett and Oscar Clarke, to Mexico City, Mexico and then to Panama, where the Georgetown delegation met with officials from those countries unbeknownst to the rest of Georgetown’s elected representatives.
The team then made their way to Panama for a similar meeting with Panamanian officials on the parking meters. Revelations of the logistics were made to the Council only while en route to Panama.
Immediately following President David Granger’s visit to City Hall on June 27, the city administration rolled out a model of the proposed parking meter for display in City Hall’s compound.
Reports from the project implementation team, NPS, said the city administration can expect a sizeable increase in their gross income from the project. The project is expected to generate between $100-200M in the first year of implementation. NPS is slated to administer the project for the next 49 years.
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