No toll reduction for out of town businesses

Kara Kara toll booth

With the exception of Courts Guyana Limited and Banks DIH, other businesses outside of the Linden community operating via outlets will not benefit from a 25 per cent reduction in tolls offered by the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC).

The decision was made following deliberations by Councillors during the hosting of the Council’s statutory meeting on Wednesday last. A number of out of town businesses which operate via outlets in Linden had sought to benefit from the decrease; however, this was shot down by the Council.

Councillors Neola Rogers and Derron John disclosed however that the law makes provision for the decision to be reviewed after six months.

“There was some amount of deliberations back and forth and we would have stated that as a Council we should allow just the Region 10 businesses to continue to benefit from the percentages that we would have put forth, and any new addition we would have to review in six months. And so it was a Council decision… We would allow the system to run just as we set it and 28:01 makes provision for us to review,” Rogers said.

John added that since companies like Banks DIH and Courts have branches in Linden, and people from the community are employed at those branches, consideration was given for those businesses to benefit from subsidies. Apart from that, he noted that in order for businesses in Linden to benefit from the reduced costs, proprietors are being urged to bring in their registration to the Council.

The Councillor explained, “The Council made a decision for businesses operating in Linden to bring in their registration and any documents they have, owing that they live in Linden. There are some persons who would have done so. There are some persons who did not. They have persons who come in from Georgetown and sell their products in Linden. They are the ones that want to be exempted. We cannot give exemptions because we only make representation as regards to persons living in Linden… The Council’s decision was very clear… Persons who do not have an office here, it’s very difficult for us to make a decision to give them the 25 per cent off… It’s hard for us.”

During a consultation for the reactivation of the Kara Kara toll booth last month, a deal was struck between members of the Logger’s Association in Linden and the LM&TC for registered loggers to pay 25 per cent of the total accumulative cost for trips made on a monthly basis. The Linden loggers, once registered, will only be required to pay based on the number of trips they make, while carrying logs past the toll point at Kara Kara, Mackenzie, Linden. The move saw some considerable change, since in past time, the loggers were required to pay each time upon passing with vehicles carrying logs.

During the consultation, loggers had registered their concerns over the hardships they are presently being faced with and made requests for concessions during the start-up period of the toll booth. The municipality had initially proposed that they pay 50 per cent of the accumulated rate; however, the loggers disagreed, with some suggesting that they pay 30 per cent instead. Owing to the disagreement between others over the 30 per cent payment, the loggers eventually settled at 25 per cent.