Minister of Local Government Dr Suruj Rambachan said yesterday the 2012-2013 fiscal year was a “golden year” for local government. He made the comment during a press conference at his ministry, Kent House, Maraval. Rambachan said within the last year more than 1,100 roads had been paved throughout T&T and 969 community projects were completed. He added that completing that amount of work in one year was a first in local government history.
Among the accomplishments he listed were the completion of consultations on local government reform, improvements to internal processes, the allocation of funding for bridges, the opening of the $56 million Siparia market and the opening of tendering for the Chagaunas abattoir. The consultations on local government reform had informed a white paper which is now before Cabinet, he said. Rambachan estimated it would take at least a year to implement local government reform, since it entailed changing legislation as well as infrastructure.
Additionally, he said, there had been a "dramatic shift in local government performance." The projects completed by the 14 regional corporations included rehabilitating roads, constructing drains, upgrading recreational facilities and cemeteries and repairing local government buildings and public properties. Rambachan denied that the projects and yesterday’s press conference were election gimmicks. “The one thing this Government cannot be faulted or criticised for is just being on an election budget. From the moment we came into office we began infrastructural improvements in the country and we continue to do that on an annual basis,” he said. On the issue of postponing local government elections, Rambachan said the Prime Minister should be the person to comment on the date and pointed out that councillors could not request the postponement of an election.