— President Ali says gov’t to roll out long-term maintenance of community infrastructure

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has announced that more than 11,000 small contractors have applied to be pre-qualified across Guyana, with almost 1,500 coming from Region Three alone, as government moves to strengthen long-term maintenance of community infrastructure.
“More than 11,000 contractors applied to be pre-qualified across this country, these are small contractors, and that didn’t happen by accident. That happened because of the openness of the system, and because people know that there’s a chance in this system,” he said during the handing over of several compact garbage trucks to Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) across Region Three, on Monday.
These contractors will play a central role in identifying and maintaining critical facilities in every community, forming part of a structured initiative. These contracts would vary from $5 million to $15 million projects.
“They will be identifying critical infrastructure in every single community; your play fields, your drains, the burial ground, the health centres, the health clinics, the schools, the administrative buildings, the public spaces, the recreational parks, so that we will have a long-term maintenance programme through which these places are kept in a good way,” the President said while engaging residents and other stakeholders at the ceremony.
According to President Ali, the move not only supports small contractors but is designed to ensure that essential public spaces and services across the regions are consistently maintained and improved over time.
Meanwhile, the Head of State noted that the central government will work closely with NDC’s across the country seeking partnerships to clear road reserves and establish structured spaces for small businesses and vendors.
“And not only are we going to create these centres for small businesses, part of what we’re doing on the development bank will be to help you to upgrade facilities and to invest in your small businesses,” he added.
Last month, Dr Ali had announced plans for the development of commercial plazas to accommodate small businesses currently operating along public roadways, as part of a broader push to create a more structured and sustainable environment for commerce.
These plazas are intended to provide a safer, cleaner and more organised setting for both business owners and customers, while enhancing the overall aesthetic and functionality of key economic zones.

He emphasised that the move is not about displacing small operators, but rather about creating long-term opportunities for growth in a more conducive environment.
The Ministry of Public Works recently announced new protocols for vendors plying their trade on the road shoulders along Sheriff Street.
Efforts are also underway to regulate the use of government reserve and other public spaces for vending.