– $1.172B for community enhancements
– $552M for local gov’t organs’ subventions
– $39M for reform of local gov’t legislation
– $100M for Georgetown enhancement

ASIDE from the $552 million budgeted for subventions to local government organs across the country, over $1.311 billion has also been allocated in the 2021 budget for various projects and development works across the various Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and municipalities.
The 2021 budget was successfully passed on March 4 in the National Assembly, and under the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (MoLGRD), the budget catered for the 70 NDCs to continue to receive $5 million each in subventions from the government, while nine of the municipalities will receive $18 million each, and Georgetown will receive $30 million. However, outside of this, another $1.172 billion has been allocated under the “Community Infrastructure Improvement Project”, which will cover planned rehabilitation works at the Parika, Charity and Mon Repos markets. It will also cover rehabilitation of the buildings of several NDCs across the country, including Annandale/Riverstown, Aberdeen/Zorg-en-Vlugt, Leguan, Canefield/Enterprise, Black Bush Polder and No. 52/74.

Another $39.093 million is also set to increase capacity building for local government reform. This programme is also set to cater for the harmonisation of local government legislation, and amendment to existing legislation. Reform of local government legislation is an area that various local government organs have been calling for over the years. Mayors of the 10 municipalities have long since registered their thoughts on the need for a reform of Chapter 28:01, the law which governs the functioning of the municipalities. Other laws governing local government systems in Guyana include Chapter 28:02. Aside from these programmes, another $1 billion is said to have also been allocated in the budget for the holding of local government elections. Meanwhile, towards the development of Georgetown, another $100.719 million has been budgeted under the Georgetown Enhancement Programme which is set aside to cater for the infrastructural development, environmental improvement of the city for the improved health and well-being of citizens.

The Georgetown Enhancement Programme replaces the Georgetown Restoration Programme, which had seen some $1 billion injected into it from 2015 – 2019, to be used for developmental projects towards improving the aesthetics of the capital city and dealing with several issues that plague the municipality. Over the years, it has been used for projects such as the de-bushing of Le Repentir Cemetery and works on several of the municipal markets around the city, including works on the Kitty Market, Bourda Market, East Ruimveldt Market, as well as to complete phased work on the City Hall’s new administration building.
The programme had incremental disbursements of $300 million in 2015, $200 million in 2016 and $200 million in 2018. No money was allocated in 2017. However, the programme has been plagued with unaccountability and mismanagement over the years, when the funds were being handed over directly to the Mayor and City Council (MCC).

At least one contractor for a project under this programme had reported not receiving full payment for works carried out, despite the ministry stating that all the money for the programme was handed over to City Hall. Proper procurement practices were also not reportedly followed, while there were cases where multi-million-dollar works were carried out without the creation of a written contract outlining the parameters of the works.
In the Auditor-General Report 2017, it was noted that from the 2016 allocation, the council could not produce any evidence accounting for some $70.489 million out of the $200 million given to them; prior to that, in the 2015 allocation, there was no evidence of payments totaling $12.816M.
In 2019, the ministry had taken over the monitoring of disbursements of money under the programme and passing works through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPATAB), to better monitor how the money was being spent.