By Lynford Simpson and Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporters MORE THAN $84 million has been spent on the now defunct Local Government Reform Unit (LGRU), which was set up in 1994 to oversee the Local Government Reform process.
Millions more has been spent to pay several consultants who have worked on the programme.
Information on the unit and the state of the reform process are contained in answers to questions posed in the Senate by JLP Senator Desmond McKenzie.
In answering the questions, Burchell Whiteman, Leader of Government Business in the Senate, disclosed that two consultants and a project manager are being paid a total of $7.15 million per annum for work related to the reform process.
A breakdown of the figures show a senior consultant being paid $2,254,000 per annum plus provision of a fully-maintained motor vehicle; a community development consultant being paid $1,960,800, plus a fully-maintained motor vehicle; and a project manager who gets $2,940,000 and a fully-maintained motor vehicle.
Senator Whiteman revealed that from 1995 to 1996 and 1998 to 1999, when the LGRU was phased out, the Government spent $84.9 million on the unit and the programme which it undertook. He said this "followed a decision by Cabinet on July 8, 1996."
"The Cabinet by way of Decision 25/6 dated July 8, 1996 gave approval in principle to the (then) Ministry of Local Government and Works for the LGRU to be strengthened and upgraded to enable it to discharge responsibilities as the national implementing agency for a proposed Parish Infrastructure Development Project (PIDP), which was developed by the LGRU as an essential element of the Local Government Reform Programme," Senator Whiteman said.
The unit was set up in January 1994 and had nine employees. It lasted until 1999 when the Government signed a loan agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to fund the PIDP. According to Senator Whiteman, at this stage "funds were no longer available to support the LGRU". Consequently, the remaining personnel of the LGRU were absorbed in the Ministry to continue with the work of the reform, he said.
To date very little progress has been made in terms of reform, and Parish Councils and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation continue to complain that they lack autonomy.
