Business plans for five municipalities have been completed as part of the programme to strengthen their management systems.

In a review of his ministry's performance last year, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Harripersaud Nokta said all aspects of the plans for strengthening the management of municipalities are on schedule, but the business plan for Linden is still to be completed owing to the recent dissolution of the municipal council there.

Nokta also disclosed that moves to strengthen the tax collection system and reduce the delinquency rate are at the planning stage and would probably come into being in early 2005.

Meanwhile, a fee structure for improved revenue earning by town/municipal structures has been completed and the municipalities/town councils are reviewing it, Nokta announced. He said also that the uniting of municipal by-laws and operating procedures for all municipalities are completed. The municipalities are now doing a review before the ministry passes them to the Attorney General.

A date is being fixed to begin work on bringing together the operating procedures while plans to have all municipalities report directly to the ministry are now at the start-up stage, Nokta said.

He said in all the ten regions received a total of $1.08 billion last year to execute their projects and education, health and infrastructure were emphasised.

Reporting on the work of the Joint Task Force on Local Government Reform, Nokta said it is at the stage where the two co-chairmen are reviewing the text of the draft Financial Report before dispatching a copy to the President and the Leader of the Opposition. Two sections of the work of the Task Force remain outstanding, Nokta stated, pointing to the electoral system to be used in local government elections and fiscal transfers from central government to local government councils.