THE recent announcement by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali that the government is seeking to partner with the King Charles Foundation to restore the city of Georgetown to its former glory as a ‘Garden City’ is music to the ears of city dwellers, many of whom have resigned themselves to living in what is now referred to as a ‘garbage city’, thanks to the incompetence of the PNC-dominated City Council.
It is an undeniable fact that Georgetown compares badly with most cities in the region for a number of reasons, the most significant of which is the mismanagement and lack of vision by the Mayor and his team of PNC Councillors.

But that situation, thankfully, is expected to change. Already there are manifestations of the changing face of the city, thanks to the several interventions of the Central Government, and the enhancement programmes initiated by First Lady Arya Ali. After being neglected for decades by the PNC-dominated City Council, the iconic City Hall, an architectural masterpiece, arguably the most beautiful in the Caribbean, is currently undergoing extensive rehabilitation work.

Now, the entire city of Georgetown is being targetted for rehabilitation work. According to President Ali, the restoration of the city is part of a larger sustainable urban development plan. As noted by President Ali, in the coming weeks, work will commence on developing eight key elements for sustainable cities, and a vision of an urban development framework for greater Georgetown.

Among key elements of this project are the creation of spaces for physical exhibitions, a virtual museum, a platform to celebrate Guyana’s history, and the development of the first cultural market in the Caribbean. These are all forward-looking and visionary thinking on the part of President Ali and the PPP/C administration.

The development of the city, as pointed out by President Ali, requires a coordinated approach by Central Government and the City Council. But such interventions must, of necessity, be led by the Government in terms of project implementation, having regard to the poor management history of the City Council. One consequence of such history is poor solid-waste disposal, inadequate drainage, clogged-up drains, and a continuing legacy of mismanagement and incompetence.

There is, however, hope. It cannot be business as usual in terms of the way the capital city is managed, especially at this time of rapid change and transformation. In this regard, President Ali and the PPP/C administration must be commended for the initiatives and interventions currently underway to restore the image of Georgetown as the Garden City.