APNU/AFC is making joke with the Local Government Commission

Dear Editor,
The Local Government Commission (LGC) was established by an Act of Parliament in 2013, under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration. In the exercise of its functions, the Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any authority.
The financial situation at the Local Government Commission is most atrocious and abominable. The staff and Commissioners are starved of finance. We are already halfway in the month of February and the staff are yet to receive January salaries and the Commissioners are awaiting their January emoluments. To date, neither Capital nor Current allocations as passed by the National Assembly in Budget 2019, have been paid over to the LGC.
At the statutory meeting of the Commission on Tuesday, January 29, 2019, the Commission suspended the standing orders so as to make way to discuss the unpaid salaries and emoluments for January 2019.
From the very beginning and the commencement of its operations, the Local Government Commission has experienced financial hostility from the Communities Ministry, and particularly Minister Ronald Bulkan. Members of the Commission are insisting that the Commission is a constitutional agency while the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change outfit in the Government is of the view that the Commission is subject to the whims and fancies of the Communities Ministry.
Section 17 of the Act clearly states, “The chairperson and members of the Commission shall receive such emoluments as may be provided for in the annual budget of the Commission, approved by the National Assembly.
Section 18 states: “The expenses of the Commission shall be paid out of monies provided by Parliament.
Section22 (2) states: ‘The remuneration and other terms and conditions of employment of the secretary and other officers and employees of the Commission shall be determined by the Commission.
Section 24 (1) states: “The Commission shall determine its own annual budget for submission to the Minister of Finance for inclusion in the annual budget to the National Assembly.
The Local Government Commission is an autonomous organisation and the Bulkan administration must allow the agency to function. Starving the LGC of finance and other basics funds for the utility services is most vindictive and unacceptable. The allocation must be made available to the Commission for them to execute their programme.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar