Fiscal transfers for 2019 by the central government to FCC amounted to only Le 14.1 bn.
Government “attack dogs” have disparaged the FCC, calling the Mayor heartless and accusing her of being oblivious of the dire economic plight of residents in the middle of a pandemic.
Someone put this hypocritical posture in the right perspective like this – “If the government were really worried about the plight of those that are affected by the hike (the bulk of the populace have actually had a rate decrease) they would have in their arsenals more instruments to ease tax burdens – for decreasing income taxes, GST and other taxes.”
With only 64% of the slated government budget disbursed in 2019 and no disbursement made to FCC since the start of the year; and with FCC salaries unpaid for the past two months, it beggars belief that the government will come out actively against the FCC on this issue.
It also behoves the Honourable Minister to discuss the unhealthy problem of the government not meeting its financial obligations to the FCC and other councils.
