New Amsterdam Town Council seeking to earn revenues- in talks with residents on sanitation initiative

GUYANA, GINA, Thursday, March 23, 2017

The New Amsterdam town council is seeking to raise revenues to assist in providing a better service for its residents. The town council is currently in discussion with the residents to determine a suitable fee for sanitation.

Mayor of New Amsterdam Kirk Wynter in an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), said that it is part of the Council’s initiatives for earning revenue without being burdensome to their citizens.

The Mayor said that the town is suffering from a devalued system. He added that there are numerous defaulters who do not pay their rates and taxes. Aside from encouraging the defaulters to pay their dues, the Mayor said that the council is trying to gather revenue by having residents pay a small fee for sanitation.

“This is through the discussion phase of them paying a small fee at the end of the month, we are now looking at that, we have to set a structure, take it to the public, see how they would accept it and then we would have to institute that,” Wynter explained.

The Mayor noted that the money will go towards equipping the council to effectively serve the citizens. Upon entering office, the Mayor said that the council was ill-equipped to serve the town. Wynter pointed out that “when you equip yourself, you can better execute the job and satisfy the public and citizens and they in turn would contribute to the council so we have to equip ourselves first.” The process, the Mayor noted, is one that will not happen overnight.

Mayor Wynter related to GINA that from the revenues received thus far from the town, the council was able to purchase some equipment that has since been put to good use. These include a garbage truck, repairs to a bobcat to clear parapets, a lawnmower to weed the grounds in the town and a bus which is used for revenue collection from persons who are unable to visit the council.

 

By: Isaiah Braithwaite