The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development stated yesterday that no authorisation has been given for increased rates for properties in the Good Success-Caledonia Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) area, on the East Bank Demerara.

Minister Kellawan Lall, in a statement, said several complaints have been received at the ministry from irate property owners, who claimed that the NDC had increased the rates for 2010, well above what they were last year. The statement explained that for an NDC to increase rates, it must first apply to the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, giving reasons and submitting estimates to justify the increases for which it was applying.

“It is the minister who authorises increases. So far no NDC has been authorised to increase rates,” the statement emphasised.

Meanwhile, the ministry is currently engaged in assessing each NDC’s financial status and its ability to collect rates and arrears rates.

One complaint reaching the ministry, the statement noted, had claimed that on a particular property in the Good Success-Caledonia NDC area, rates had been increased by 300% for this year over what they were in 2009. Lall declared that he had authorised no such increase.