By Zena HenryMayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green said at a press briefing yesterday that City Hall will remain lit as parties from the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) and the Georgetown Municipality were able to reach a resolution over an excessive $1B light bill owed for electricity.City Mayor Hamilton GreenThe parties had decided to meet on Wednesday to discuss the colossal sum owed by City Hall. The Council wanted to ascertain whether the huge bill was the actual amount owed to GPL, while the power company threatened to disconnect City Hall because no discourse was being kept as it related to payment of outstanding bills.Mayor Green told the media that the entities agreed to have an exchange of cheques and to re-examine the financial state of accounts given by GPL. The chairman of the Council’s Finance Committee agreed to send a draft to GPL to confirm the result of what was discussed at the meeting,Wholesale NBA Jerseys, Green said. He continued that taxes owed to the Council by GPL would be taken as payments for electricity.Chief Executive Officer of GPL, Bharat Dindyal, told Kaieteur News on Wednesday that GPL and City Hall have come to an understanding on the way forward with bill payments. He said both sides stated their cases, and agreements were made, noting that it was explained to the Council how the billion-dollar bill arose; that is, of the 58 Council accounts, while a payment plan was looked at.He added that the Council had been paying $7M a month which is half of the Council’s monthly electricity bill. The two entities will also continue a cheque exchange system, where for taxes owed to the Council, it would be deducted as electricity payments,Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys, Dindyal asserted.The CEO also clarified that while it was mentioned that GPL owed the Council taxes, it was shown to Council officials – at the meeting – that tax payments were up-to-date, with the power company only owing for the year 2013 – some $35M, which would go towards electricity payments.Mayor Green confirmed this at yesterday’s press conference.Dindyal said it is now with the Council to finalise its position on what was discussed and to get back to the power company. Another meeting of the two entities is expected next Friday.As it relates the colossal electricity bill that had Council officials scampering for a resolution before a blackout by weekend, GPL said the Town Clerk (ag) was not in talks with the company.Councilors had expressed surprise on Monday when the electricity bill came, since Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase- Green said that on numerous occasions the Town Clerk (ag) Carol Sooba, expressed that, ‘she was dealing with the matter at another level,’ when asked for an update on GPL payments.A response on the issue from the power company revealed that this was not the case. Dindyal told Kaieteur News yesterday that he was not aware of the current Town Clerk contacting the power company as it pertains to keeping correspondence over the Council’s outstanding electricity bills. He said that the Town Clerk was present at Wednesday’s meeting, but made no representation that she had been corresponding with the company. He said any ‘talks had to be outside of GPL, but not with the company.” Mayor Green made the same assertion.The Council said that under former Town Clerk Yonette Pluck,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, correspondence was being kept with GPL since it was “stale news” that the Council would be in arrears of electricity payments to the power company.It was emphasised that constant discourse was being kept and agreements would be made between the power company and the Council to address outstanding bill payments. It was pointed out that with the current Town Clerk,China NFL Jerseys, the only information offered was that outstanding bills were being dealt with at another level.Dindyal told Kaieteur News that in light of what was discussed at Wednesday’s meeting and the financial state of City Hall, it seems like the Council will never be able to pay off its debt.As at April 30, this year, City Hall owes GPL some $1,090,Wholesale Jerseys China,572,575. The Council says it is broke and is being stifled. Among the City Hall’s responsibilities are street lights,wholesale nfl jerseys, one of the major contributors to the hefty electricity bill – some 86.8 percent Mayor Green indicated. It was further noted that the Council is unable to collect much of the money that is owed – some of it in rates and taxes, the environmental tax that was implemented by government on behalf of the Council, and fees from the Municipal Court among oth

As the Carifesta celebrations continued yesterday, career and amateur writers were afforded the opportunity to have their works perused by St. Lucian Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott, when he hosted a master class for writers at the Castellani House.But although the honorary writer’s intent was to cater to a small group of persons who already had a publication to their names, he was more than amazed when groups of individuals gathered to hear him make a presentation.Among those in attendance were journalists from around the Caribbean, and local persons, mostly youths, who were interested in writing verses, short stories and music, among other potential writers.But before proceeding with the scheduled session, Mr Walcott was forced to exclaim that, “It is just too big…” even as he digested the fact that most of the participants were simply practising writers.And as he commenced the actual session by deliberating on the important factors of writing, a crowd of young persons scurried into the room and,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, just for a moment,Cheap Jerseys Outlet, sidetracked the renowned writer.According to Curator of the Art Gallery, Ms Elfrieda Bissember, it was the expectation of the Noble Laureate that he would examine the work of a few writers, after which the pieces would be discussed, before he, along with those present, would carefully extend criticism with a view to improving the participants’ writing skills.Bissember said that the vast number of persons who showed up was as a result of a ‘little strip advertisement’ which may have suggested that it was for the entire public, and not just a few writers.She expressed some satisfaction, though, at the fact some published writers, the likes of Ruel Johnson, did bring a piece or two to be perused.The young writer was also instrumental in bringing a lighter side to the session when he was asked to construct a Guyanese sentence so difficult that even Professor Walcott could not decipher it independently,NFL Jerseys Cheap, an undertaking he completed with consummate ease.With the use of what was described as an Indian/Creolese dialect, Johnson articulated a sentence which described how he and another person were going around a corner to have something to eat. The sentence prompted hilarious laughter from those in attendance.It was at this point that Mr Walcott was forced to inform the participants that while language may just be a sound,Cheap NFL Jerseys, regardless of the dialogue or the dialect, it should never be considered funny.He, however, posed the question to the participants as to whether they believe that they have a duty to be clear and accurate.The renowned writer expounded that in every country there is the official language and then there is the unofficial one which could sometimes become a challenge if one is overemphatic.He went on to elaborate that there have been some writers who have been able to overcome such problems,Adidas NHL Jerseys China, even by resorting to a fusion of several languages.Yesterday’s session, which went on for the most part of the afternoon, also saw the attendance of prize winning writer David Dabydeen, who served as the secondary presenter to the forum.Dabydeen has also been working with various persons involved in the Carifesta Symposia Committee, and has offered crucial suggestions,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, according to Ms Bissember.