Mayor Mentore ignored requests to upkeep city streets; gov’t acted lawfully – Ministry of Public Works

The Ministry of Public Works has firmly rejected statements issued by the Mayor of Georgetown regarding the designation of twenty-two (22) roads as public roads, describing them as legally flawed, misleading, and an attempt to misinform the public.

The Ministry emphasised that the Government of Guyana has acted lawfully, responsibly, and in the public interest, and therefore will not be distracted by assertions that distort both the law and reality.

At the core of the Mayor’s position, the Ministry said, is a fundamental misinterpretation of the Municipal and District Councils Act, Cap. 28:01. The Act expressly defines a “council road” as any road other than a public road. This is decisive. Once a road is lawfully designated as a public road, it ceases, by operation of law, to be a council road. The notion that these roads remain permanently within the Council’s jurisdiction is wholly misconceived.

Indeed, Section 274 of the Act, upon which the Mayor relies, clearly states that the Council’s powers are subject to other written laws, one of which is the Roads Act, Cap. 51:01. This critical limitation subjects municipal authority over roads to the broader national legal framework.

The Roads Act, Cap. 51:01, vests responsibility for public roads in the Minister of Public Works, including the authority to designate and manage such roads. This power is not subject to, or limited by, the City Council under any other law. Therefore, the Minister, on behalf of the Central Government, has the lawful authority to take over and designate any road as a public road.

The claim that there was an absence of consultation is not only false, but without legal foundation. In many previous engagements with the City Council, as well as through public pronouncements, the Central Government has appealed to the Council to upkeep, maintain, and manage these streets diligently and in the best interest of residents and businesses.

Unfortunately, the Ministry said, those constant appeals were ignored. In such circumstances, the Central Government owes a duty to the public to do what is necessary to remedy the situation, as these roads have been wholly neglected, are in disrepair, and in some cases are hazardous to public use.

Equally, the assertion that the Government has “seized” council assets is fundamentally flawed. Roads are public infrastructure, not private property owned by municipal bodies. What has occurred is a lawful reallocation of responsibility within the statutory framework, not an acquisition of property.

What is particularly revealing, the Ministry added, is the attempt to ignore the scale of Central Government investment in Georgetown’s infrastructure over recent years. The Ministry of Public Works has not been a passive observer, but a principal driver of development and maintenance within the city.

Between 2020 and 2025, approximately GYD $19 billion was expended on the rehabilitation of main access roads within Georgetown. In addition, approximately GYD $5.3 billion was invested between 2020 and 2025 in urban roads across the city. A further GYD $4 billion was directed towards maintenance works, approximately GYD $7.4 billion towards drainage interventions, and an estimated GYD $5 billion towards enhancement works within Georgetown.

In total, this represents an investment of approximately GYD $40.7 billion by the Central Government into Georgetown’s roads and supporting infrastructure. The Ministry noted that the GYD $100 million subvention disbursed for the renovation of City Hall itself is not included in those figures.

These figures are not incidental; they demonstrate sustained, substantial, and necessary national intervention to support the city’s infrastructure. It is therefore disingenuous, the Ministry said, to suggest that the Central Government is improperly intruding into an exclusively municipal domain when, in reality, it has long been required to stabilise and improve critical infrastructure for the benefit of all citizens.

Moreover, the designation of these roads is not arbitrary. It forms part of a deliberate and ongoing response to public concerns regarding traffic congestion, road conditions, public health, and the need for more coordinated and efficient management of key transportation corridors. The Government has consistently engaged the public on these issues, and this measure reflects that continued responsiveness.

The attempt to frame the matter as an erosion of local democracy is misplaced, the Ministry said. What is at issue is the Government’s obligation to ensure that infrastructure is managed safely, efficiently, and in a manner that supports national development. That responsibility cannot be subordinated to a misinterpretation of the law.

The Ministry of Public Works said it remains open to engagement with the Georgetown City Council. However, such engagement must be grounded in legal accuracy, good faith, and a shared commitment to the public interest, rather than rhetoric that seeks to mislead.

The Government of Guyana, it added, will continue to act decisively, lawfully, and in the best interest of the people of Georgetown and Guyana as a whole.

 

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