Minister of Local Govern-ment and Regional Develop-ment, Kellawan Lall said on Friday that he has accepted the recommendations of the Commissioner of Inquiry, Keith Burrowes that the city Town Clerk, Beulah Williams and Treasurer Roderick Edinboro be removed from their current positions.
And the other recommendations made by Burrowes have been accepted and will be implemented shortly, following examination of certain aspects of operations of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
Minister Lall, speaking at a press conference in the ministry’s boardroom, said further that a committee headed by Burrowes will be put in place to oversee the implementation of the recommendations made earlier this year.
The implementation committee is expected to be as broad-based and technical as possible to ensure the expected transformation of the municipality, GINA stated.
The ministry had intended to invite two members of the City Council to sit on the committee but it was advised that two technical persons be recommended by the Mayor instead.
Meanwhile, the Town Clerk has been instructed to provide a modern job description of the vacant positions and a transparent process will be followed in all municipalities in relation to persons seeking employment.
Lall pointed out, GINA said, that the committee will be free from all ministerial and political interference and all jobs will be sourced through the statutory bodies.
He said it is the first time an implementation and technical committee will be set up to deal with issues of the municipality and this should be seen as a step forward. He noted that the implementation will allow the municipality to better deal with Georgetown residents.
Burrowes pointed out that his recommendations concerning the Town Clerk and Treasurer were endorsements of the Auditor General’s report which was completed within the context of the law.
Noting that the task of the inquiry was underestimated, Burrowes said the committee will be made up of technical persons who are competent to deal with the different areas in the report.
Some of the key recommendations which emerged from the inquiry include the development of a general Operations Manual, the institutionalization of a Chart of Accounts and General Ledger System (already implemented) and the establishment of a centralized and independent Internal Audit and Systems Review Department (IAD).
The irregularities pointed out by the Auditor General’s report are what prompted the investigations into the workings of the Georgetown Municipality.
The Commission of Inquiry was established by Minister Lall in 2008 to probe City Hall’s operations.
