Dear Editor,

The authority of the Region 8 administration should be extended to facilitate mediation in land disputes (in Mahdia, etc) on order to resolve issues in some measure, until the arrival of the Land and Surveys officials to deal with these matters.  People who have land disputes have no alternative but to travel to Georgetown to consult with Land and Surveys where they are (if needs be) referred to Linden, and thence back to the city if they are not satisfied.  Finally, Land and Surveys would give the disputants a date when they would visit Mahdia.

Let us contrast the economics should the Region 8 administration be empowered to mediate, pending the arrival of the relevant authorities. A return bus fare from Mahdia to the city is basically $12,000; meals on the way would push it to $16,000.  Travel expenses, meals, accommodation and maybe legal advice would strike a grand total of $50,000, the least for staying three to four days in the city.  What an extravagant expenditure for the small man!  The cost could be slashed considerably or even avoided, if the Region 8 administration were empowered to mediate in land disputes pending the arrival of the relevant authorities.

Yours faithfully,
George Carrington