Blog

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.

The post Mayor Mentore ignored requests to upkeep city streets; gov’t acted lawfully – Ministry of Public Works appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Lusignan Golf Club will host the highly anticipated SBM Offshore Golf Tournament this Sunday (March 29), with a strong field of golfers expected to compete in what is anticipated to be an exciting and competitive day of golf.

The tournament will be played over 18 holes in a Medal Play format with a shotgun start scheduled for 08:00h. Players will compete in two flights based on handicap, with the flights set at 0-14 handicap and 15-36 handicap, ensuring competitive play across the field.

A number of prizes will be up for grabs, including Best Net prizes in each flight with trophies awarded for first, second and third places.

Players will also compete for Overall Best Net and Overall Best Gross, along with special prizes for Nearest to the Flag on Hole #4 and Longest Drive on Hole #5.

Registration for the tournament is currently open, and interested players can contact the Lusignan Golf Club on 620-0093 to register. Registration will close at 13:00h on Saturday (March 28).

Club PRO Dr. Joaan Deo expressed appreciation to SBM Offshore Guyana for sponsoring the tournament and supporting the development of golf at Lusignan.

She noted that corporate support continues to play an important role in the growth of the sport and the club’s ability to host competitive tournaments for its members and invited players.

SBM Offshore Guyana is part of the global SBM Offshore group, a company specialising in floating production, storage and offloading vessels within the offshore oil and gas industry.

The company continues to play a significant role in Guyana’s energy sector and has been supportive of community and sporting initiatives.

The presentation of prizes is expected to take place at approximately 12:30h following the conclusion of the tournament.

The post SBM Offshore golf tournament set for Sunday at Lusignan appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC) is calling for continued diplomatic engagement between Guyana and Suriname following recent public statements by both governments regarding charges linked to activity on the Corentyne River.

In a statement, the Chamber said the issue should be addressed through direct dialogue and constructive engagement, noting its potential impact on bilateral relations and cross-border trade.

SGCC, which promotes trade and private sector cooperation between the two countries, warned that matters of this nature extend beyond diplomacy and could affect businesses and communities.

The Chamber noted that operators and residents who depend on stable and predictable cross-border commercial activity may face uncertainty if the issue is prolonged.

Highlighting the long-standing relationship between Guyana and Suriname, SGCC stressed the importance of resolving differences through mutual respect and open communication.

“Suriname and Guyana share a long history of neighbourly relations, growing economic ties, and a common interest in advancing regional cooperation,” the statement said.

The Chamber added that maintaining this relationship requires a practical and cooperative approach to resolving disputes.

SGCC also underscored the need for clarity and consistency in cross-border regulations, warning that uncertainty could disrupt business operations and affect investor confidence.

“For businesses to operate effectively, there must be clarity, consistency, and confidence in the framework governing cross-border trade and transport,” the Chamber noted.

The Chamber expressed optimism that the matter can be resolved quickly and amicably, in keeping with the strong ties between the two countries.

SGCC said it remains encouraged by the broader history of cooperation between Guyana and Suriname and is confident that this same spirit will guide efforts to settle the issue.

The post Suriname-Guyana Chamber urges dialogue as tensions emerge over Corentyne River charges appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Guyana and Belize have formalised a major step toward regional environmental cooperation and sustainable development, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focused on strengthening collaboration in the forest sector.

The agreement was signed on Friday, March 27, at Ramphal House in Georgetown, marking what officials described as the beginning of a long-term partnership.

A key feature of the MOU is its automatic extension, signalling the countries’ commitment to sustained collaboration beyond its initial five-year period.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, emphasised that the agreement is intended to endure well into the future.

“It’s an automatic extension… I can see this agreement outliving us,” he said, noting that the responsibility now lies in building strong institutional frameworks to carry the work forward.

The agreement establishes a framework for collaborative conservation and sustainable development, including:

• Joint forest conservation projects
• Sharing of technology and technical expertise
• Support for Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems
• Development of carbon market opportunities
• Strengthened monitoring, surveillance, and disaster preparedness
• Expanded research and training initiatives

The MOU also promotes community engagement, education, and sustainable livelihoods, while respecting traditional knowledge and cultural practices.

Minister Todd highlighted that the partnership reflects deeper regional integration within CARICOM and strengthens the countries’ collective voice on global environmental issues.

“We are two small states reaching above and beyond… this partnership puts us in a stronger position regionally and globally,” he said.

He added that Guyana continues to position itself as a net carbon sink and a leader in environmental stewardship, even as it pursues economic development.

Belize’s Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Solid Waste Management, Orlando Habet, described the agreement as the result of years of collaboration that began with technical exchanges and joint participation in international climate forums.

“This MOU is more than a document—it is a reflection of a journey,” Habet said.

He noted that both countries recognised shared challenges and ambitions in areas such as climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and carbon financing, which ultimately led to formalising the partnership.

Both countries underscored the importance of leveraging their rich forest resources and biodiversity as economic and environmental assets.

Habet pointed out that Caribbean nations must better value their natural resources to unlock financing for sustainable development.

“These assets can be leveraged to get funding to do more work for our countries,” he said.

The post Guyana, Belize sign forest cooperation agreement with automatic extension provision appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) failed to meet the majority of its performance targets for 2025, according to a review conducted by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Friday.

During the Commission’s annual assessment of GPL’s Operating Standards and Performance Targets (OSPT), the power company reported that it missed six of the eight required service standards.

The standards not achieved include:

• Customer interruptions
• Meter reading
• Accounts receivable
• Accounts payable
• System losses
• Issuance of bills for non-maximum demand customers

These benchmarks form part of GPL’s Development and Expansion Programme 2025–2029 and represent the minimum service levels expected in electricity delivery.

Despite the setbacks, GPL reported that it met and exceeded targets in two key areas:

• Voltage regulation
• Average availability of electricity

These gains point to improvements in power stability and supply consistency, even as broader operational challenges persist.

GPL attributed its underperformance to several ongoing challenges, including:

• Difficulty sourcing skilled labour
• External interference with its network
• Frequent feeder trips affecting distribution

The company indicated that these issues continue to impact its ability to consistently meet service standards.

The review, held at Herdmanston Lodge, forms part of the Commission’s legal mandate under GPL’s licence, which requires an annual assessment of the company’s performance by March 30.

Chairman of the PUC, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, said the Commission will issue its official findings and any directives in a formal Order by April 30, 2026.

The OSPT framework assesses critical areas such as outages, billing, and system efficiency—issues that directly affect consumers nationwide.

The hearing was attended by PUC Commissioners Maurice Solomon and Verlyn Klass, along with members of the public and media.

Consumers can access additional details via the PUC’s website at www.puc.org.gy or contact the Commission at 226-7042 / 227-2182.

The post GPL says labour, network challenges made some targets unreachable – PUC  appeared first on News Room Guyana.

In a move to seize back control of 22 city streets from the government, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council on Friday put forward a resolution to take the matter to court.

These streets, some of which are commercial and residential, were made Public Roads in a move gazetted on March 20, 2026 as Ministerial Orders by the Minister of Public Works under the Roads Act. This means the roads now fall directly under the Ministry.

During an extraordinary meeting on Friday, Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore proposed the resolution to write to the Minister of Public Works and the Attorney General Anil Nandlall in efforts to resolve the issue but more importantly, it was decided that the matter would be sent for legal advice.

APNU Councillors who were present signaled their agreement; there were no PPP/C Councillors present.

“We must put a stop to this…The Mayor and City Council rejects to the seizure and reclassification of the 22 council roads by the Central Government. The Council affirms that the roads remain in and under the lawful authority of the Council,” Mentore said.

Mentore said the council is responsible for the control of the streets and management of streets and parapets within the city. This means that the Municpal properties including the roads are legally under ownership and jurisdiction of the Mayor and City Council.

He said that it threatens the council’s revenue collection and the sanctity of vendors who ply their trade in those areas.

Some of the commercial streets where the council has been trying to get the vending situation under control are Regent Street, Charlotte Street, America Street, Camp Street. Other residential streets include D’Andrade, Garnett, Da Silva, Sandy Babb, Cummings.

He said that the constant question about the Council’s ability to secure its revenues and he said if Central Government continues without open dialogue with the City Council, the Council will have to continue its efforts to strengthen public-private relationships.

“We need to have real talk on these matter and we have to have conversations if not nothing is going to happen in relation to we dealing with you. We will move to find other people to have public-private partnerships, ” he said.

The post Legal action looms as City Council hopes to seize back control of G/Town roads appeared first on News Room Guyana.

In a move that has sparked frustration within St. Vincent’s sporting administration, the highly anticipated Regional Four-Day Championship clash between defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles and the Windward Islands Volcanoes has been relocated to Antigua.

The shift comes against the backdrop of “miscommunication” and venue scheduling conflicts that left St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) unable to host the three-game block, originally slated for April.

Speaking on the Barbadian radio programme Mason and Guest, SVG Sports Minister Kaschaka Cupid expressed bewilderment over how the hosting rights slipped through the cracks.

“I received a correspondence from the national sports council through the Windward Islands cricket board that we were scheduled to host three games back-to-back during the course of next month [April].

However, I would say there was some level of miscommunication between the Sports Council, the Ministry and Windward Islands cricket. So that is unfortunate that we are not in a position to host the games”, the Sport Minister stated recently on Barbadian radio programme Mason and Guest

He further indicated: “I believe there is a conflict with football, as well as there is an international football game due to be played around that time period and we are limited with the number of facilities.”

“We would have hosted the games” had there been no miscommunication, because “the information did not come to my desk.”

“During conversations recently, I found out that the games were relocated to Antigua”, the Minister stated.

The Minister highlighted a familiar foe for Caribbean sporting infrastructure: venue saturation, noting that the cricket window reportedly clashed with international football fixtures.

St. Vincent will host the USVI in the Women’s World Cup qualifiers on April 14.

This isn’t the first time SVG has missed out on major fixtures at the eleventh hour. Cupid drew parallels with a previous U-19 series against England and, more recently, a trimmed schedule for the West Indies Women vs Australia series, where a planned Test match and three ODIs were scrapped in favour of just three T20Is.

It is understood that due to the financial constraints, CWI has implemented a new three-match bilateral series format for this year’s Regional Four-Day Championship.

Additionally, Jamaica Scorpions will host Barbados Pride, and Leeward Islands Hurricanes host Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in Antigua.

After three bilateral matches, the team with the most points would advance to the final, while teams two and three would play off to determine who would advance to the final in Antigua.

The travelling teams are expected to depart on April 9, with round one set to commence on April 12.

The post Guyana Harpy Eagles Four-Day matches shifted to Antigua appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, has raised concerns over the growing trend of vehicles blasting loud music across communities and has urged greater respect for public spaces.

The Minister said she has observed an increasing number of vehicles outfitted with large sound systems, often occupying entire back seats and trunk spaces, being driven around with music at excessive volumes.

Manickchand said there several instances where loud music disrupted sensitive environments, including funerals, churches, hospitals, and other community spaces.

“I was at a funeral… I was at church… I was at the hospital… there’s no regard for zones that should be respected,” she stated.

While noting her personal appreciation for music, the Minister stressed that enjoyment must not come at the expense of others.

“You can’t tell me I don’t like music… but your music cannot be a nuisance to other people,” she added.

The Minister indicated that the issue will be addressed, signalling possible enforcement measures.

“So what’s that about? That can’t continue. So let’s have a look at that,” she said.

Manickchand emphasised that neighbourhoods must be protected from excessive noise and other forms of pollution, particularly in areas where quiet is essential.

She noted that locations such as hospitals, classrooms, funerals, courts, homes, and playgrounds should not be disrupted by loud and inconsiderate behaviour.

“Our neighbourhoods must be able to enjoy their spaces without noise and other pollution,” she said.

The Minister is urging citizens to exercise greater responsibility and consideration for others.

“Let us do better, Guyana,” she appealed.

The post Manickchand calls for crackdown on loud music from vehicles appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh has put to rest concerns that Guyanese without bank accounts will be unable to get their $100,000 cash grant, emphasising that no one will be denied this disbursement.

“Nobody will be denied their cash grant on account that they don’t have a bank account.

“(If you don’t have an account), we will work out an arrangement and devise a mechanism for you to get your cash grant,” Dr. Singh said on Thursday.

The use of the bank account transfer, the Finance Minister explained, allows the process to be conducted more efficiently. However, he emphasised that there will be other systems in place to distribute the cash grant.

The government started distributing the $100,000 cash to Guyanese adults last week. Almost 49,000 public sector workers got their grants through their bank accounts. On Thursday, an online self-registration portal for other citizens was launched.

In an interview on Thursday evening, Dr. Singh said about 4,100 persons were able to initiate registration for the grant, and over 2,300 successfully registered in just about two hours.

Since then, he acknowledged that the portal has slowed down and encountered some difficulties but noted that such problems are to be expected with the high interest shown. The Finance Minister assured persons that if they couldn’t sign up on Thursday, the portal will remain open and citizens can sign up at their convenience.

Additionally, the Finance Minister urged persons who encountered any issues to reach out to the relevant authorities for assistance.

For this National Cash Grant, the government is making the payout through the banking system, which is consistent with President Ali’s previous announcement encouraging all citizens to open bank accounts as part of government’s digitization agenda.

The eligibility requirements to receive the National $100,000 Cash Grant paid into your bank account are as follows:

• Must be a Guyanese Citizen aged 18 years and older as at February 28, 2026
• Must have a valid National Identification Card, Digital Identity Card or Guyana Passport
• Registrant must have a bank account in their name at any local commercial bank
• Must be physically present in Guyana to register

The government has set up a national help desk to assist persons. This can be accessed on telephone numbers 501-5085 and 503-2977 during working hours.

The post $100,000 cash grant: Other mechanisms will be in place for those without bank accounts – Finance Minister  appeared first on News Room Guyana.