— Minister McCoy says facility showcases success of LCDS and local empowerment

RESIDENTS of Swan Village along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Sunday celebrated the commissioning of their new market area and the hosting of the first official Market Day, a milestone that Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, described as a proud moment in the community’s development journey.
The $19.5 million Swan Market facility, constructed through funds provided under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), has been hailed as a model for community-led development and a reflection of government’s vision to promote sustainable and inclusive growth across Guyana.

“This is more than, for me personally, more than just a physical space. It’s the centre of the community life,” Minister McCoy said, adding that the facility is expected to become a hub for farmers, vendors, and entrepreneurs to conduct business with dignity while fostering a sense of local pride and unity.
He urged residents to preserve the new structure as a symbol of their progress.
“It must always be a bright and shiny spot in your village because it must represent your pride and your dignity,” he told the gathering.
McCoy added that the project stands as an example of what collaboration and shared vision can achieve.
“We want this to be the example. The example of the use, not just of the use of the LCDS fund, but the example of what the coming together of the community and their minds can produce for the benefit of your development and success.”

$72M IN LCDS FUNDS INVESTED IN SWAN
The Minister disclosed that since 2023, the community has received $72 million in LCDS funding, channelled directly into projects selected and managed by residents themselves.
“From 2023 to now, $72 million from the Low Carbon Development Strategy has come to this community,” McCoy said.
He explained that the LCDS framework ensures communities directly benefit from Guyana’s sale of carbon credits.

“Our people must be able to have their development, and there must be a connection to the earning of this money,” he stressed.
Minister McCoy also highlighted the importance of capacity-building among market vendors and local entrepreneurs to ensure the facility reaches its full economic potential.
“We need to invest in them and train them how to make the best use of their venture and how to grow and to develop,” he stated.

He added that ventures such as the Swan Market form part of a wider national effort to stimulate economic diversification and boost tourism along the highway corridor.
“People from other villages would not only come to buy but will use this project as part of their tourism experience,” he said.
The Minister described the Swan Market as a clear example of how the LCDS links environmental sustainability with tangible community benefits.
“This is the type of project we would like every community to be part of,” McCoy noted, calling it “a shining example of community pride, partnership, and progress.”