On September 30th, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand visited the Thomas Street Avenue alongside representatives of the UK’s King’s Foundation to assess ongoing works on what was described as the first project being undertaken under President Irfaan Ali’s Healthy Streets Initiative.
A release from the Ministry said that she was joined by Leslie Ohomele and Samuel Delvin of the King’s Foundation, a charity founded by King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales. It was further explained that the Thomas Street project, which extends from Lamaha Street to Church Street, was designed by the King’s Foundation in collaboration with the Government of Guyana and forms part of wider efforts to improve Georgetown’s public spaces through healthier, greener, safer and more functional urban design.
During the visit, the team examined the works completed to date and discussed the continued implementation of the project. Aside from the wanton concreting and paving in many parts of the city, this project can undoubtedly be part of a renewal that the capital has long needed. The only discordant note here was the absence of the city administration from the inspection. The other officials on the tour were from the Ministry.
Is the Ministry of Local Government and other ministries such as the Ministry of Works slowly taking over the city? Has the Mayor of Georgetown surrendered the city’s right to be in charge of these projects? In recent months, numerous city roads were gazetted to come under the control of the Public Works Ministry.
Taken all together the work of the ministries and now in alliance with the King’s Foundation has the appearance of a takeover of the city’s responsibilities as enshrined in the Municipal and District Councils Act. Is the Mayor and City Council in deep slumber or has it willingly pawned away the rights of the citizens of this city to local government?
To make matters worse, it seems by a concatenation of various delays that Local Government Elections will not be held as scheduled this year. The democratic renewal which could give projects such as that on Thomas Street and external assistance such as from the King’s Foundation a resounding vote of confidence is not in the offing.
No one is in a position to say when these polls will be held but the Ministry of Local Government seems well confident in itself that it has nothing to be worried about. It is not that the city council has distinguished itself by stellar performance. To the contrary the council’s performance has been lacklustre, stretching decades back into its existence. However, that cannot be a licence for the state to do as it pleases. It’s a development that the King’s Foundation itself should take cognisance of.
On March 9th this year, on its website, the King’s Foundation outlined the parameters of its planned engagement with Guyana.
This it said is primarily taking place through the Georgetown Urban Framework Plan which it said was developed “in collaboration with national and local stakeholders” while the Framework Plan has been crafted by experts in The King’s Foundation’s Projects Team.
“It sets out a long-term vision to transform Guyana’s capital city, Georgetown, into a resilient, connected and inclusive capital city that balances heritage protection with modern, low-carbon growth.
The plan addresses some of the city’s most pressing challenges including drainage and flood resilience, transport and mobility, urban expansion, and the protection of historic buildings”, said the King’s Foundation.
It also stated that it was working alongside the Office of the President and “other key national stakeholders” who it did not identify and who to this day remain a mystery. It also went much further. It said that following the collaboration to produce the Framework Plan, the partnership between the Government of Guyana and The King’s Foundation is “also progressing seven demonstration projects. These include plans for a new sustainable Demonstration Town Canal City, to structure future urban growth, a heritage-led revitalisation of the Transport and Harbours Building, improvements to Georgetown’s historic Stabroek Market and the surrounding district, and a strategy to regenerate the Water Street riverfront corridor”.
These are quite breathtaking projects. Questions of funding and who exactly developed this plan, whether the citizens of this city have some say in it or how the projects proceed must be answered. Before these grandiose projects go much further, the people of Georgetown must hear from their Mayor and the ministry exactly how these projects were conceived, who is funding them and what the future of city governance will look like.
Discussion