Better drainage, no rates and taxes increases – PPP candidates

LGE 2018

With Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan promising countrywide property valuation to assist Local Government Organs improve their rates and taxes collection, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) candidates contesting the November 12 Local Government Elections for the La Grange/Nismes, West Bank Demerara, Local Authority Area (LAA) promise to strongly oppose this move when it is rolled out.
They are of the view that the valuation process would mean increased rates and taxes for their constituents in an already burdening economy. The Party is contesting six of the seven constituencies with the LAA. It is the first time that they are contesting the Nismes Constituency, a seat which has always been held by the People’s National Congress and now the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

Leading the charge for that Constituency is 30-year-old Dr Erica Forte. She said she has been living there all her life and many of the residents there are unaware of the level of representation they get as well as who their representative is. Her vision for the growing constituency includes tackling the social ills that plague the community as well as focus on the development of proper health care systems for her constituents.
Within the LAA there is just one health-care facility which is the La Grange Health Centre and that provides limited services to residents. The Nismes community was so small when the health centre was constructed that the community was also included to be serviced. However, over the years the community drastically improved with no improvements to the healthcare system.
According to Dr Forte the entire feels neglected and is looking for development. She said that the residents are gravely uninformed and aims to have sensitization campaigns since that would better inform them as to what the NDC is capable of and how they as residents should pitch in and assist. Within her constituency, the roads have never being maintained and with the opening of a new housing settlement in the area the deterioration of the roads have increased.
“Whatever is done we do it ourselves and like many constituencies I feel like the people of Nismes are not involved as much. Involved in terms of playing a role in their community’s development because there are no real programmes set up for community services. How can you move forward when you don’t know where you are?” she questioned.
“I can bring a whole new view on the issues and I can resonate more with both the youths and elders because of my age. Apart from that, characteristically speaking, I have always been a go-getter type personality so I am not prepared to sit down and just wait… I am not doing this for the fame or praise… I want to get things done for the community. Everything has gotten worse in my opinion. No lights in the area. Garbage disposal is a problem. Wayward youths is increasing because they have nothing to do. There is no community anything and a sense of community in the area,” Dr Forte added.
Meanwhile, the other members on the PPP’s slate expressed similar sentiments. However, one of the major concerns for them is the drainage situation that plagues the partially farming community.
Constituency One – Palmer Street-North Independence Street – candidate, Krishna Codrington, said a number of redundant Wales Estate employees live within his constituency and they have resorted to cash-crop farming, hence the reason drainage is a major issue. He notes that although there is so much the candidates have planned to do, nothing is achieved without teamwork. He also indicated that they are prepared to withstand the pressure of not having any valuation of property done in order to raise rates and taxes.
Additionally, Constituency Two Councillor Anjanie Narine – who is seeking re-election said her first term as a Councillor was marred by a lot of resistance from the Overseer, Lemar Roberts, at the La Grange/Nismes Neighbourhood Democratic Council. She notes that the Overseer would blatantly refuse to act on orders which quite often results in residents breaking the law and the NDC receiving substandard works.
Narine further stated that the NDC does not have its own machinery and other equipment which makes it tougher to get the job done.
“When you have to do work and it costs more than $100,000 you have to take that to the RDC (Regional Democratic Council, Vreed-en-Hoop) for them to take to tender and sometimes, you don’t even get a response. That affects the work a lot because there is so much we want to do and so little we can do,” she explained.
“We thought that we were going to be an independent body when we were seeking election, but Central Government is controlling our every move and we cannot develop in that way,” Narine added.
On the issue of finances, Narine indicated that there are some defaulters when it comes to paying rates and taxes but noted that Council is advising them to pay up. She noted that whenever they receive subventions, there is always an issue as to where it would go and to what projects and quite often they are forced to focus on a particular constituency while the others do not receive as much attention.
The other candidates contesting the constituencies are Carlos DeFreitas, Rahman Alladin and Rafi Khan. The group already started their campaigning and is hoping for a clean sweep.
This publication reached out to the APNU campaign representatives for an interview but until press time, they had not responded.
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Erica Forte1-
Angie- Anjanie Narine
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