LBI NDC urged to tackle concerns of residents, strengthen service delivery

Local Government and Regional Development Minister Priya Manickchand, along with local officials, on Thursday engaged residents from across the Better Hope/La Bonne Intention (LBI) Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) catchment area, where several longstanding concerns affecting their communities were addressed. Among the primary issues raised were residents’ encumbrances related to drainage and roadways causing drainage problems, inconsistent garbage collection, unkempt community grounds, poor communication between the NDC and residents and concerns surrounding the use and availability of NDC resources. Residents also expressed dissatisfaction with the level of engagement from some councillors within the constituencies they were elected to represent.
Manickchand reminded the Council of its responsibility to remain accessible and responsive to the communities it serves, encouraging councillors and NDC staff to become more active within their respective areas and to improve communication with residents.

She also pointed to the investments already made to strengthen the NDC’s capacity, including financial support in the form of a hefty subvention of $30 million and the provision of equipment such as tractors and garbage trucks, stressing that these resources must translate into visible and reliable services for residents. Following the concerns raised, the Minister committed to working with the relevant officials to have the issues addressed as quickly as possible and urged the NDC to begin acting on matters that can be resolved immediately, with work already set to commence the following day.
She expressed a vested interest in following up on the NDC’s responses to the concerns raised and how they choose to address them. The engagement provided residents with an opportunity to speak directly with central, regional and local Government officials while allowing the NDC to identify areas requiring immediate attention and stronger service delivery.