By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand has expressed strong disappointment over what she described as the failure of Georgetown’s Mayor, Alfred Mentore, to work collaboratively with central government in advancing the development of the capital city.
Speaking during a media engagement, Minister Manickchand reaffirmed her commitment to restoring Georgetown to what she described as its former prominence, stating that progress would continue regardless of the mayor’s reluctance to engage constructively with government-led initiatives.
The minister’s comments follow the absence of Mayor Mentore and APNU councillors from a key meeting earlier this week, convened to address the city’s worsening solid waste management challenges. The missed engagement came amid public exchanges between the two sides, including accusations aired on social media.
Manickchand said Mayor Mentore has repeatedly blamed the city’s struggles on insufficient funding allocated to the Mayor and City Council. She rejected that explanation, suggesting that leadership requires more than identifying problems.
“If this is truly the case, then perhaps you should consider stepping aside,” the minister said, adding that acknowledging problems without demonstrating a willingness to resolve them was unacceptable.
Throughout her remarks, Manickchand emphasised the importance of a functional working relationship between the Mayor and City Council and the Central Government, noting that the responsibility to improve collaboration ultimately lies with the city’s leadership.
She also appealed directly to residents, business owners and visitors to take personal responsibility for keeping Georgetown clean and attractive, urging collective action to restore pride in the capital.
According to the minister, government-led plans for Georgetown include intensified clean-up exercises, the rehabilitation of green spaces, and public education campaigns aimed at reducing littering and environmental pollution. She also pointed to ongoing central government investments in road rehabilitation and drainage works, noting that these responsibilities do not fall under the purview of the City Council.
In addition, the government has rolled out beautification initiatives across the city, with the expectation that the Mayor and City Council will ensure sustained cleanliness and proper maintenance.
Mayor Mentore, however, has defended his administration’s position, arguing that the city’s garbage challenges stem from inconsistent support. He claimed that while the government had provided waste disposal bins, there has been inadequate follow-up, resulting in overflowing receptacles across the capital.
Looking ahead to the presentation of Budget 2026 on January 26, the mayor disclosed that the City Council’s proposed budget now stands at approximately $2.5 billion, with $1.9 billion derived from rates and taxes. He further contended that the central government has historically exercised significant influence over the Council’s budget submissions, often rejecting proposals put forward by the municipality.
As tensions persist, the ongoing dispute highlights deeper disagreements over governance, accountability and responsibility for Georgetown’s future, with residents caught between competing narratives over how best to develop and manage the capital city.
