Solid Waste Director to repay M&CC compactor’s rental fee

Solid Waste Director of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, Walter Narine will have to repay some $900,000 after using monies without informing the Council.
During the M&CC’s statutory meeting on Monday, Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine told the Council that Narine would have rented a compactor from Puran Brothers Inc without informing the Council.
He added that the Council found out of this development after the company sent an invoice requesting payment. According to the Mayor, following this development, the Solid Waste Director then informed the Council that he requested permission from the then acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe to use the funds.
But Ubraj on Monday said that when Harry-Munroe was summoned to a meeting, she denied the claim.
It is against this backdrop that Ubraj contended that, “a Town Clerk cannot make a decision for this Council, we have a Mayor, a treasurer, and committees,” adding that “Mr Narine accepted and that is how he had to repay the money.”
The Solid Waste Director was suspended, however, the Local Government Commission (LGC) has since recommended that he repay the money in full.
During a statutory meeting on Monday, a motion was moved to have Walter Narine repay the money in instalments for the next six months.
Guyana Times understands that the sum is pegged at $900,000.
In August 2019, Town Clerk (ag) Sharon Harry-Munroe was sent packing after failing to comply with orders of the LGC to provide financial documents requested by the Office of the Auditor General. But when contacted, Narine argued that the information provided by the Mayor is totally inaccurate.
He explained that in June 2019, the M&CC truck that usually collects garbage from the Stabroek Market area developed mechanical problems and could not operate.
The truck was sent to the workshop where it was slated to remain some 3-5 days until the issue was fixed.
Given that Stabroek Market produces some 11 tonnes of waste per day, Narine said the best option was to seek the services of a private contractor.
He said he made contact with the then Town Clerk and informed her of the situation and was given the green light to hire Puran Brothers Inc.
The M&CC truck remained down for some time, resulting in Puran Brothers providing the service for the months of June and July.
Narine maintained that the Town Clerk knew of the arrangement and that it was her responsibility to inform the Council, not his.
Further, he lamented that the LGC never gave him a hearing during its investigation into the matter.
Highlighting that the services he contracted were for the benefit of the city, Narine argued that he should not have to repay the money.
“Why am I being punished for executing the work of the Council?”
Narine, who has been Head of Solid Waste Management for some seven years, explained that his sole duty is to help the people of the country and that he goes above and beyond on a daily basis to do this.
He claimed that to this day, the M&CC truck remains in the workshop and the Council is utilising Puran Brothers for the same services he had required.
Against this backdrop, he questioned why he is being forced to repay the Council for the services for two months last year.
Moreover, he contended that the sum for those two months is significantly less than $900,000.
According to Narine, he is engaging with his lawyers on the way forward. (G11)