FROM my perspective, having reminisced on this important and nostalgic aspect of the evolution of Georgetown, the reality, as we approach its 200th anniversary, does not conjure up a visual image of the City of Georgetown that will instill a sense of pride. Rather than dwell on who’s to blame for the state of affairs, I respectfully recommend reasonable and achievable courses of action by public, private and community organisations, institutions and agencies, that will arrest the decline and restore some sense of civic pride in what it is to be Guyanese; that advocate the standards of accountability to which we shall hold public officials in the discharge of their functions on behalf of the welfare and well-being of citizens of Georgetown; and,  that  instill in our own selves a sense of civic responsibility and the standards that we shall uphold and bequeath to our young people and future generations.
These are my recommendations:

1. A concerted effort by ministries of the government;  political parties represented in parliament; commercial businesses located in GT – including merchants, vendors, hoteliers, restauranteurs, night club operators, minibus operators and taxi services, to clean up and maintain the cleanliness and appearance of the main streets and pavements/avenues/alleyways in the vicinity of their locations. Such an initiative should originate from a joint appeal and implementation coordination by the Ministry of Local Government, the Mayor and City Council, and the Private Sector Commission with its key affiliate, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

2. Residents within the wards of the city must be encouraged to clean up their yards and parapets within a given timeline and then to maintain same. This initiative should be based on a public appeal by the City Council with detailed work being facilitated in each ward of the city by citizens’ groups, service organisations, schools and colleges, religious, sports and cultural organisations, and young leadership cadres such as the Scouts, Guides and the President’s Youth Award, Republic of Guyana gold, silver and bronze awardees, who are resident within each ward. Such an initiative does not have to await central direction but there should be coordination of the logistics of garbage removal with the City Council. Ongoing collection sites for residents whose garbage may not be cleared daily, need to be identified and signed. Garbage dumped other than at authorised places should be traced back to the source and condign action taken to expose perpetrators and impose penalties for such uncivil behaviour.

3. The City Council’s focus must be on the gaps, empty lots, alleyways and canals as well as removal of garbage from the city to the Haag’s Bosch site on the East Bank of Demerara and authorised landfill sites. The logistics for such collection and removal will be initially a daunting task, but it is a task for which the City Council should seek the advice and assistance of the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Defence Force Engineer Corps.

4. Realistic fines for littering and penalties for poor maintenance of public places and private premises must be enforced by the City Council, assisted by the Law Enforcement Agencies and Neighbourhood Policing Groups.

5. A Commemorative Act to observe the 200th Anniversary. The National Trust ( under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport), in collaboration with the Guyana Heritage Society, should erect an appropriate sign at the location of the Brandwagt, the first infrastructure erected after the capital was relocated to Stabroek from Borsselen Island in the Demerara River (opposite Soesdyke). The Brandwagt was a small, wooden fort, manned by a Sergeant and five soldiers armed with swivel guns loaded with either nails or stones, and it was intended as a post of observation for vessels coming into the river, to prevent smuggling and give warning of an enemy. The Brandwagt was reportedly erected on the location occupied by St Andrews Church, west of the Magistrate’s Court at the head of Brickdam (see James Rodway’s The Story of Georgetown – Reprint edition 1997).

6. The 200th Anniversary Project-The Restoration of City Hall. A public commitment should be made by civil society groups towards the setting up of a project implementation Steering Committee (as, for example, was done for the restoration of the St George’s Cathedral and the Theatre Guild Playhouse) for the Restoration of City Hall as a project of national importance. This once magnificent building, designed by architect Father Ignatius Scholes, was opened by Governor Gormanston on 1st July, 1889. This restoration project should be be devoid of any acrimony, real or perceived, between the incumbent administration of the City and the government. City Hall is a national monument and should be the symbol and flagship of the capital. Sadly, it is currently a national embarrassment of monumental proportions.
While these above recommendations are specifically designed to prod the national consciousness towards taking decisive action in anticipation of a milestone in the life of the capital city, there are other strategic and systemic issues for which sustained advocacy will be required. These include curtailing the importation and use of styrofoam; promoting the use of biodegradable containers; and the collection, recycling or processing of plastic containers.
Maintenance of canals and alleyways in the city has to be complemented by efficient manning of kokers and sluices and the regular desilting of outfalls into the Demerara River.
I do hope my offering finds resonance with officials and citizens. The manifestation of this will be in individual action in households, cooperative action within communities, and in collaborative action among the official agencies and organisations in and around the city. Hopefully, this will generate a momentum outside of the boundaries of the city to the entire country.