Arima mayor urges local govt reform

Arima mayor Ghassan Youseph yesterday made an appeal for urgent reform of the local government system. Speaking to constituents during a service to commemorate the 123rd anniversary of the borough at Santa Rosa RC Church, Arima, Youseph said the current framework of local government was not working. “I wish to express my concern that the People’s Partnership has begun its second year in office and, to date there has been no reform of local government,” Youseph said. He said the current system was not geared for delivery and needed major overhauling.

Youseph then offered what he said were two solutions to the problem. He said the Government could either align the number of municipal corporations with the number of constituencies and Members of Parliament for each area head the respective corporations. This, he said, would allow MPs the power and responsibility to run their own corporations for the benefit of their constituents. The other option offered by Youseph was to give the existing corporations autonomy and responsibility as is the case with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).