-under Model Village Initiative
Residents of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, Region Five are slated to benefit from plans to upgrade the village’s roads, drainage, and utility infrastructure under the Model Village Initiative, making the settlement safer and more accessible.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali led the community consultation process at the Bath Settlement Primary School on Friday. He was joined by Minister of Education Sonia Parag, Minister of Housing Collin Croal, and Director of Government Efficiency and Implementation, Nigel Dharamlall.
In his remarks, President Ali said the project aims to strengthen residents’ treatment of their environment and bond with each other, extending well beyond physical works.
“This programme is about economic empowerment, it’s about beautification, it’s about environmental services, it’s about jobs,” the president said.
He linked the initiative to the government’s wider push for equitable services across urban, suburban and rural communities, pointing to the recent rollout of the Government Service Centre in Region Five, which he said had served more than 15,000 residents in under three months with transport, Guyana Register Office (GRO), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and digital ID services.
He underscored that his government “wants a village where families can grow and support each other. Where families can have a quality of life.”
Director of Government Efficiency and Implementation, Nigel Dharamlall, outlined the scope of works, which covers Bath’s full 446 acres, 54 streets, 21.425 kilometres of roadway and 42.85 kilometres of drains.
The project includes road rehabilitation, full drainage reconstruction, bridge upgrades, relocation and assessment of utility poles, and installation of 55 fire hydrants across the settlement.
A long-planned water treatment facility is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Dharamlall said the works will also include a new police outpost, upgrades to the community ground, and streetscaping along several roads, with before-and-after renderings presented to residents during the session.
President Ali said engineers, planners and architects have spent the past several months assessing the community’s needs ahead of the proposals shared at the consultation.
Bath Settlement is among 23 pilot communities that are set to transform the Model Village Initiative, a brainchild of President Ali. Residents are contributing to the initiative via the consultation process as they provide their input, suggestions and recommendations to the government