–as gov’t continues to roll out measures to improve living standards at community level

THE handover of garbage trucks to Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) across Guyana is part of a wider strategy by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government to uplift communities, improve living standards, and strengthen grassroots development, President Dr Irfaan Ali has said.
During a handing over ceremony in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on Monday, President Ali described the initiative within a wider “care economy” agenda, focused on quality living, quality life and quality communities.
“One of the things that we want to focus on is, how do we build from the communities through quality infrastructure and a sense of awareness that allows each of us to be each other’s keeper in a real sense,” he said.
The President noted that while communities have benefited from improved streets, drainage and recreational facilities, unplanned, ad hoc development is creating new challenges.
“You have better streets than you had before. You have improved drainage, improved recreational facilities. You have also, coming with that, more ad hoc development that are not in keeping with what we want to achieve…. We want them in a quality environment,” he said, adding: “We want them to be part of a quality infrastructure that ensures the safety of people, the safety of children, the well-being of families and the promotion of families and communities.”
The President noted that the government is working along with NDC’s to ensure that such spaces are created.
Among the planned investments are centres of care for children and the elderly, to be built in partnership with communities.
“We spoke about a new initiative to support centres of care for children and the elderly. These centres, we are going to build in partnership with communities so that we can have common spaces through which our children and the elderly can enjoy a quality of life that gives them greater dignity, greater satisfaction and much more joy,” the President said.
He also said traditional markets would be transformed from “places of chaos” into hubs of tourism and entertainment.
“We want the markets not to be a place of chaos, but a place of tourism, a place of entertainment, a place of joy, a place of family. So, you will see us reorienting even our markets under this umbrella of a care economy, an economy in which quality of life means something,” he said.
The 12 new garbage compactor trucks were delivered to the NDCs in Region Three.
This latest delivery follows the previous donation of two trucks to the NDCs of Wakenaam and Leguan. With this distribution today, every NDC in Region Three will now have its own dedicated garbage truck.
Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, reflected on the broader transformation taking place across the country.
She pointed to recent developments such as the Guyana-China Friendship Park and the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge, as well as improved road networks, which have contributed to better living standards.
The Government of Guyana has already distributed garbage trucks to Regions One, Two, Five, and Six. Combined with today’s handover, this brings the total number of trucks distributed nationwide to 46, as the government continues its nationwide rollout to all 70 NDCs.