Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) is being positioned as an industrial and manufacturing hub under the government’s Model Village Initiative, with several private-sector investments set to begin in the community.
Addressing residents at Thursday’s consultation, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali noted that plans for Enmore differ from those for other pilot communities as it has massive growth potential.
Within two weeks, a team of ministers is expected to return to the community to encourage young people to register with the Guyana Development Bank. The government also plans to establish an Agro-Development Area in Enmore to support new businesses and industry.
“We are now fine-tuning a number of private sector investments that will commence here at Enmore that will create jobs and enable opportunities,” he said in remarks.
President Ali explained that the initiative is also intended to bring together skilled machinists from the nearby GuySuCo estate to form a consortium and build a machine shop, and to strengthen transport links connecting Enmore to development along the East Coast corridor, including Ogle and Georgetown.
“We can also have something that is diversification, but it’s called devolution. Devolution is where services, government services, government opportunities, national opportunities can devolve into the village setting,” he added.
As with other communities under consideration for the pilot initiative, President Ali said the plan includes relocating small businesses such as spray-painting and mechanic shops away from residential streets, citing noise and environmental concerns raised by residents.
A technical presentation delivered by Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, outlined the scale of the undertaking. Enmore spans roughly 408 acres and is home to about 8,000 households, two primary schools, several nursery schools, two churches, a police outpost, a post office and a hospital, among other facilities. The community has an estimated 21,259 metres of roadway and 42,518 metres of drainage.
Flooding, inadequate street lighting, insufficient fire hydrants and security camera coverage, and derelict vehicles were identified as key infrastructure challenges among the community, following months of resident consultation and field assessment.
Using Station Road, one of the community’s longest roads, as a model, Minister Anthony showed residents an image outlining a proposed upgrade that would pair the recently asphalted roadway with paved walkways, tree-lined shoulders and a continuous concrete drainage system connected by bridges.
Similar upgrades are proposed for villages, along with broader plans for solar street lighting, replacement of an estimated 250 utility poles, and expanded CCTV coverage.
The plan also proposes designated areas for an industrial and manufacturing estate to support small operations and agro-tech businesses, an upgraded market and food court area, and space for a crematorium.
Implementation is expected to proceed in phases, beginning with the desilting of trenches and canals, followed by installation of concrete drains, LED lighting and garbage receptacles, and concluding with paving and landscaping work.