…M&CC unveils ambitious plans to transform Georgetown

WITH the advent of the oil and gas industry, the city of Georgetown must be transformed to cater for the development and expansions needed to facilitate its multiplicity of operations as well as the spin-off industries.

Through the Greater Georgetown Development Plan and the establishment of a National Capital Planning Committee, the Capital City will, in the near future, boasts the technological, infrastructural, industrial and environmental advancements needed for international oil and gas operations.

This is according to Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore, at a press conference on Tuesday. The committee, of which he is member, is spearheading the 20/40 development plan and is tasked with reporting progress to the council and residents of Georgetown. He said planning is currently in the embryonic stage and consultations are ongoing with partnering agencies such as the Ministry of Communities, Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). “With the advent of oil and gas, which we know will bring a lot of other industrial components to this development, we will have to pick up speed and be able to fill the gap so that we will be able to move as fast as the oil and gas is getting close to us,” he said.

The document speaks of goals, objectives, strategies, amongst other things, that will directly address the issues affecting residents presently, such as garbage collection, land allocation for industrial and residential zones and infrastructural development. The agriculture and manufacturing industries have also been included and consideration is being given to population management such as housing and road networking. Tremendous focus will also be given to the River Front Development Strategy.

Mentore stressed that with Central Government setting the example of PRIORITISING national development, it is the City Council’s mandate to speed up with its plans and play its role in transforming Georgetown. “While the Central Government has its plans, the Local Government has its plans also. We must be able to match and marry how we will be able to deal with national development at a local government level,” he said.
With a zestful team in place, he assured residents that Georgetown will not be left behind, as the rest of Guyana moves ahead for betterment with the APNU/AFC Coalition.