health facilities and guest houses.According to the Ministry

micevan1l6

Amidst high fuel prices and soaring electricity costs, the Guyana Government is tightening its belt and urging its various agencies to conserve.On Thursday, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Kellawan Lall, urged that officials conserve on the use of vehicles and utilities.According to the Ministry in a statement addressed to various statutory bodies in the Local Government, measures should be taken of the steep “increase in the cost of fuel and utility, and to take all the necessary steps to conserve on the use, especially vehicles, electricity and water.”Targeting the Regional Democratic Councils, Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and Municipalities, Lall warned that cost-saving measures should be put in place to avoid “un-budgeted expenditures due to these increases.”The measures will be covering all public buildings under the control of these agencies which include administration and personnel buildings, school dorms, health facilities and guest houses.According to the Ministry, it will be monitoring the situation closely to ensure that statutory bodies comply fully with the established guidelines and procedures.“The Regional Executive Officers, Town Clerk and Overseers will be held accountable for any wastage and careless use of fuel and utility services,” Lall said in the release.Yesterday, the price of oil on the world market dropped slightly to US$132 per barrel, which was still very high as compared to a year ago. The Guyana Government has lowered the gas tax from almost 50 per cent from a year ago to seven per cent when the price started to cut deep into the pockets of consumers and farmers in particular.Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), struggling to stay afloat, is contemplating another tariff hike following a 15 per cent earlier this year.