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…Council to remove accounts from Republic Bank?Progress is being made at City Hall. It is now in a position to pay its employees. Deputy Mayor Robert Williams announced yesterday at a press conference that the Government has decided to pay the municipality the $53 million that it owed City Hall in rates and taxes for the last quarter of 2008.Deputy Mayor Robert WilliamsHe explained that he was advised by President Bharrat Jagdeo that the money should be uplifted at the Ministry of Finance yesterday.However, up to the time that this story was being written, representatives from City Hall were at the office of the Ministry of Finance, awaiting the transferral of the money to the Republic Bank,Pete Orr Team Canada Jersey, so that employees could be paid; but from all indications,Deolis Guerra Team Venezuela Jersey, the workers would not receive their money before the dawn of the new year, since the bank had already closed off operations for the day.It was explained that the amount of money mobilized so far,Chris Colabello Team Italy Jersey, together with the taxes from the Government, will take care of the employees. And if the bank had agreed to provide the loan,Eric Wood Team Canada Jersey, then City Hall would have also dealt with contractors and others to whom they still have to make payments.In order to pay its employees, the Deputy Mayor had noted, the municipality was upping its campaign to collect rates and taxes; and thus far, a total of $25 million has been collected.Williams expressed his disappointment with the bank, as he noted that it has been three days since City Hall has been awaiting word from that entity.He explained that the bank had indicated that it had not had any word from Trinidad as it relates to turning an overdraft into a loan; but, according to Williams, for some reason or the other, the bank is having a difficult time doing this.“It was so simple…If that overdraft was turned into a loan and it was used to pay off the workers, when we received the money from the Government,Franklin Morales Team Venezuela Jersey, it would have been paid back to the bank and the matter would have been resolved…. and the workers would have been paid in time for the holidays.“And any bank in such a situation, I assume after 100 years, would want to do that kind of business,Francisco Rodriguez Team Venezuela Jersey, unless there is something real difficult about the transaction that I am not aware of,” the deputy mayor told reporters.He added that the Council is very concerned about the relationship which exists between the M&CC and the bank for over 100 years, and as such a motion is being tabled before the Council to review its relationship with Republic Bank,A.J. Morris Team Italy Jersey, with the expectation of transferring all its accounts and doing business elsewhere.“We have over 500 employees whose accounts pass through Republic Bank on a monthly basis. We do over $1.4 billion in business with Republic Bank… and I find it extremely difficult that, in the event of discussions, days have to be taken for communication with Trinidad before a customer can have an answer,Edubray Ramos Team Venezuela Jersey,” Williams said.He noted that the unions and workers have exercised great patience and tolerance over the past weeks as it relates to their non-payment. As far as he is aware, the workers have not called any strike action, although there were a few workers who stayed off the job.In keeping with its budget proposals for 2009,Andrew Albers Team Canada Jersey, Williams noted, from January, a number of persons will be taken to the court. He stressed that the municipality expects full cooperation from the judicial system.Meanwhile, the Deputy Mayor also debunked a report in the Kaieteur News which stated that much-needed funds have been utilised in the wrong way in City Hall, given the entity’s financial situation.It was noted that, although there was need to emphasise the importance of cautioning citizens against littering, the municipality directed much needed funds to advertisements and disregarded the fact that sufficient funds were not available to pay workers.In this regard, Williams said, this is far from the truth, as the municipality is not even spending the required amount on advertisements, as there are still persons littering.Meanwhile, the Alliance For Change, via a statement to the media yesterday, stated that it was deeply disturbed by the fact that, at the end of the year, the workers of the Georgetown municipality have not received their salaries for December. The statement noted that the workers have already had to work through the Christmas holidays without payment, based on a promise that salaries would have been paid on December 29, 2008.“It is the AFC’s view that the money invested by the Government in holding an independent inquiry into the functioning of the Town Clerk and City Treasurer earlier in the year would have been better spent if a Commission of Inquiry was established to make recommendations for the future financial viability of the Georgetown City Council. The workers deserve not only their wages and salaries, but also an apology.”