— as Model Village Initiative consultations continue
Residents and business owners in Mon Repos have been assured by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali that their livelihoods will not be disrupted, but rather organised, as part of the government’s Model Village Initiative.
Addressing residents at Thursday’s consultation, President Ali said the transformation taking place in Guyana must be felt in every community.
He noted that the most recent census shows three out of every four citizens still live in villages.
He described the village as an ecosystem supporting families, health care, agriculture, jobs and culture, and said the initiative is designed to bring city-level infrastructure and services to that ecosystem.
As part of the undertaking, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is looking to develop 23 pilot model villages across Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six.
Following successful implementation, the initiative will gradually be rolled out to all communities in Guyana.
“We don’t want to displace people. We want to organise the village so that where there is spray painting, mechanic shops, we’re trying to find reserves that we’re going to put facilities and move them to that area so that people can coexist in peace,” the head of state said.
Attorney General Mohabir Anil Nandlall, S.C., who delivered a detailed technical presentation on the proposed upgrades, reinforced the President’s assurance.
“This [initiative] must be done with cooperation. The state has all kinds of powers but we do not want to use it. We want to work together to clean…and beautify the environment,” the Attorney General said.
Community profile
Mon Repos comprises several distinct sections with a combined population of thousands of families.
According to the community’s infrastructural profile, the area has 95 paved roads, 10 of which require repair, and currently has no functional fire hydrant.
The proposal, developed following months of technical assessment by government engineers and planners, includes:
- CCTV camera coverage at strategic points across the community, aimed at improving security
- Upgrades to internal streets including 2nd Street, Block B Dam and Pump Trench, with concrete drains, speed bumps and repaved roadways
- A redevelopment of the Mon Repos Market, among the largest markets on the East Coast, including designated stalls, parking and green space
- Relocation of roadside vendors and small businesses, including mechanic and spray-painting shops, to designated reserve areas, an initiative the Attorney General said has already begun, with truck operators being relocated to a prepared site
- Reclamation of alleyways for government reserve access, requiring some residents to move back fencing
- Conversion of footpath bridges into vehicular bridges to accommodate rising vehicle ownership
- Designated industrial parking for trucks, to clear residential streets
- Upgrades to the Block A playground and other public spaces
- signage to be used across all model villages nationwide
Minister Nandlall said the design, informed by satellite mapping of Mon Repos’s western, central and eastern sections, remains preliminary and will be finalised based on residents’ input.
Enforcement measures
The Attorney General also outlined plans to implement a Garbage Correction Law carrying fines for illegal dumping, alongside the removal of derelict vehicles from public spaces.
Owners of vehicles left in front of properties after a stipulated grace period will face charges. Minister Nandlall also revealed that plans are afoot to cut maintenance access points into concreted areas over drains, to prevent blockages that have previously caused flooding in low-lying sections of the community.
Consultation process
Technical representatives from several state agencies, including the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), the Ministry of Housing, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), were present to address individual resident concerns.
Following the presentation, residents were given the floor to offer feedback, recommendations and questions on the proposal.
Mon Repos’s consultation was the second of four held on Thursday, as the government continues engagement ahead of implementation of the pilot phase.