The Arima Borough Corporation is complaining about inadequate funding to combat the chikungunya virus. In a press release yesterday the corporation said despite warnings from the Ministry of Health regarding the seriousness of the disease resources have been inadequate from the Ministry of Local Government. “The Arima Borough Corporation is being inundated by calls for spraying and treating with a higher than usual mosquito infestation while reports of the incidence of the chikungunya virus has increased.
“This corporation, like several other PNM-controlled regional corporations, has had its request for greater budgetary resources denied and does not either have the resources or the equipment to undertake the spraying or preventative measures which the burgesses are demanding in wake of the outbreak of the virus,” the statement said. In response to the complaint, Local Government Minister Marlene Coudray said yesterday she could not understand why the corporation would issue such a release.
She said there was a recent meeting in which all mayors attended during which she told the corporations to submit proposals regarding funding for ChikV. “I really do not understand on what basis would they now come and issue such a release. We spoke about the proposal and to date I have not received it. So I really do not have time for that. “There is another meeting coming up next week and I am hoping the corporation would attend,” Coudray said.
Arima Mayor George Hadeed said he was not sure whether the corporation had been asked to submit a proposal at that meeting as he had reached the meeting a bit late. “But if there was a proposal I will work on it immediately and I will ensure that it would be sent as soon as possible. What the minister told us is to use the monies from our unspent balances but this takes a very long time to access,” he added.
He also encouraged burgesses to do their part and clean their surroundings and not wait on the corporation to do so.