An imbroglio relating to the financing of the Local Government Commission (LGC) has been resolved with the Ministry of Finance approving the LGC’s 2019 work programme and releasing funds for the payment of January expenses including the salaries and emoluments for staff and commissioners.
“The matter has been resolved and the LGC has made payments to its staff,” Chairman Mortimer Mingo told Stabroek News in a brief comment yesterday. This newspaper understands that the approval came after a meeting between Mingo and Finance Secretary Michael Joseph.
Last week, Mingo had said that the commission had been effectively shut down since it could not access funds to pay its staff and bills. At the time, he blamed the shutdown on the refusal of Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Communities Emile McGarrell to counter-sign the documents that would release finances to the agency.
