21.I.1 Guyana has six urban municipalities: Georgetown with an estimated population of 177,900; Linden with a population of 33,500; New Amsterdam, the population of which is 21,700; Corriverton with a population of 15,700; Rose Hall with a population of 8,000; and Anna Regina with a mere 2,600 citizens.

21.I.2 Despite their relatively small sizes, these urban areas are very poorly serviced. In all of them the roads are in various states of disrepair. In all but one of them the drainage systems are so ineffectual that there is flooding every time the rainy seasons come around, and often even in the dry seasons. Silt and solid waste and various other kinds of refuse block the drains; water overflows into the streets and yards; and whatever detritus there is in the water finds its way into the dwelling places, particularly of the poor. There are heaps of rubbish in most parts of the cities, sometimes even on the main roads. In short, the cities are unsanitary and a breeding ground for the vectors of many diseases.

21.I.3 Multitudes of people abound within the yards of the poor, where small rooms are occupied often by upwards of eight people: men, women, and children, frequently spanning three generations. There are, on average, about eight rooms per yard. In each of the yards there are, on average, two latrines and one stand pipe.

21.I.4 Water supplies are generally erratic and often impure.

21.I.5 The abattoirs and municipal markets are unclean and over-crowded.

21.I.6 The main streets are crowded by vendors who occupy both the pavements that are intended for pedestrians and the roadways that are meant for vehicles. Not unnaturally, progress in certain areas is slow and hazardous. Indeed, driving in the cities is considered by some to be somewhat of a lottery.

21.I.7 In many of Guyana’s municipalities, street lighting is extremely rudimentary, either because there are no lighting facilities, or because there are no electric bulbs available. In the one city in which a few traffic lights have been installed, they are more often off than on.

21.I.8 The municipalities are supposed to be governed by two pieces of legislation: the Municipal and District Councils Act of 1969, and the Local Democratic Organs Act of 1980. These Acts give very wide powers, as well as responsibilities, to the Municipal Councils. Through them the municipalities are responsible for water supply, sanitation, street paving, drainage, solid waste management, street lighting, environmental matters, recreation, markets and abattoirs. They may also take grants, accept loans, and issue bonds, all with the approval of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (MLGRD). However, although the Municipal Councils possess wide powers, they are subject to a set of bye-laws which are archaic, and ought to be amended to suit modern requirements.

21.I.9 The Municipal Councils, in addition to being liable to the direct supervision of the MLGRAD, are required, by law, to follow the various policies of the Central Government. Often, therefore, there is an overlap of functions and authority, and much obfuscation.

21.I.10 Allied to the problem of administrative and managerial responsibility, is the fact that the Municipal councils themselves are either under-staffed, or possess staff of relatively poor quality.

21.I.11 On top of all this, they are, in general, severely under-funded. They are supposed to obtain the financial resources to undertake their manifold tasks through the collection of rates and taxes, rents, and a plethora of fees, and through subventions from the Central Government. However, the existing rates, taxes and fees are based on parameters which have been established a long time ago and are now woefully out-of-date, especially as they have not, over the years, taken account of inflation, increased property values, and, most important, greater demands on the cities’ coffers. For example, while a not very successful attempt was made by the Georgetown municipality to revalue the property in Georgetown in the early 1990s, the other municipalities still use valuations which were undertaken in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

21.I.12 Moreover, many properties, in addition to those which are currently under-valued, have never even been recorded. No taxes of any kind are therefore received from their owners.

21.I.13 Government subventions to the Municipalities are also derisively low. In addition, there appears to be no system on which transfers are made from the Government to the Municipalities. For example, in 1997, the last year for which relevant statistics are available, the transactions were as follows:-

21.I.14 The disparity in the population/subventions ratios is most evident. Moreover, even though Government transfers were in every case the major source of funding, the amounts that were ultimately transferred were almost never assured before the actual subvention was made. This, of course, seriously inhibits any sort of planning and meaningful budgeting. Indeed, the amounts transferred often appear to be subjectively assessed and, more reprehensibly, to be linked to the political configuration of the members of the municipalities.

21.I.15 There is no fixed procedure for evaluating requests for funding. Often it appears that resources are allocated on an ad hoc basis, or on perceptions of the council’s ability to spend in areas which meet the central government’s, not the municipality’s, criteria and priorities.

21.I.16 The amount of subvention given by the Central Government, when added to the revenues collected by the cities and town councils, is insufficient to provide for the efficient financing of municipalities.

21.I.17 The members of the town councils are elected under a system of proportional representation, from a slate presented by the leaders of political parties, and not on the basis of constituencies. There is therefore very little, if any, organic and political connection between a councillor and a particular part of the city. No one seems to be accountable to any group of voters. Not surprisingly, therefore, the quality of the services provided by the councillors is very often poor, even when the low level of funding is taken into account.

21.I.18 Much of the work that is performed by the municipalities is undertaken by the staff of the municipality itself, even though an increasing amount of their services is now being provided by contractors. This latter procedure is, however, the exception rather than the norm.

21.1.19 In addition to the poor hygienic conditions which have already been mentioned, water supplies in the urban areas are sub-standard, the treatment of sewage inadequate, and there is a plentiful number of stagnant pools of water that encourage the breeding of mosquitoes.

21.I.20 These deficiencies and inadequacies are manifested in low levels of public health, insufficient recreational facilities for children, juvenile delinquency, and higher levels of crime than for other areas of the country.

21.I.21 The Central Housing and Planning Authority is the principal element in the local physical and planning system. It is the hub with direct functional linkages with Regional Democratic Councils, local authorities, and the Central Board of Health. It also liaises closely with those statutory authorities which supply such urban services as electricity and water, and maintain the sewerage system.

21.I.22 In most towns, development seems to be haphazard and unplanned. While there are zoning regulations, these are honoured more in the breach than in the observance. Everywhere, in all the towns, business places, vehicle repair shops, and manufacturing enterprises are permitted to grow up, like Topsy, alongside and within districts that have been zoned for residential occupation alone.

21.I.23 There is much illegal occupation of land. Indeed, so-called "squatting" areas abound mainly on the outskirts of the towns. Apart from being unseemly, they tend to contaminate the areas in which they are sited, because of a multitude of poor hygienic practices and conditions, and because of the intricate drainage and irrigation systems which service the coastal areas of Guyana.

21.II.1 The basic issues and constraints to urban development in Guyana are financial, administrative, and managerial. Because of the low levels of rates and taxes that are collected, because of the low bases for these rates and taxes, and because Government subventions bear no relationship to the needs of the urban areas, the amounts available to the municipalities for their mere existence are always most inadequate.

21.II.2 Also, mainly because the municipalities cannot afford to pay attractive salaries, they are unable to hire the most competent persons. As a result they spend even the pittances which they collect and receive, most ineffectively. Moreover, because the councillors are elected from lists, they do not, as has been pointed out, have any allegiance to, and responsibility for, any particular district. As a consequence, often the whole municipality is neglected. Ways must therefore be found to widen and deepen the revenue base; ensure that funding from the central government is both adequate and reliable; and make certain that individual councillors are accountable to specific districts.

21.II.3 Very little urban planning is being undertaken. Whatever planning is being done does neither attempt cohesively to establish goals and objectives at a national level, nor to link their attainment with economic and financial policies. In practice, sectoral strategies have been formulated in isolation, with little attempt being made to integrate them into national strategies, and with little consideration as to how the plans are to be implemented, whether through communities, the private sector, the municipality, or even the government.

21.II.4 The expanded boundaries of the city of Georgetown and other municipalities have placed severe strains and pressures on their drainage systems. In addition to the heavy siltation of canals and the dumping of refuse, the lack of maintenance of the sea and river defences, indeed of the entire drainage system, is the main cause of poor drainage of the cities.

21.II.5 The Sewerage system in Georgetown was established nearly seventy years ago, and has not been extended. It cannot therefore now cope with the demands of a much greater Georgetown, and is over-loaded. In addition, it is in a state of disrepair. In other words, it needs both extending, repairing and modernising.

21.II.6 The sewerage outfall at the mouth of the Demerara River is too close to land, and must be extended several more kilometres out to sea.

21.II.7 Septic tanks without leaching beds and pit latrines are malfunctioning and discharging effluents into adjacent drainage canals and ditches, in many parts of the extended city and are fast becoming a great health hazard.

21.II.8 All the cities have inadequate telephone services, poor supplies of electricity, and unreliable supplies of water.

21.II.9 Waste disposal and refuse collection in urban centres has reached a critical situation as large amounts of waste are being dumped outside the identified sites, creating nuisance and health hazards to the people. Municipalities are unable to maintain and clear the areas under their control due to a lack of manpower and a shortage of garbage trucks. The incinerator in Georgetown, which is very old, does not have the capacity to burn the very large quantities of refuse that is thrown up in the city every day. Therefore, the municipalities have to resort to dump sites for disposal and are finding difficulties in identifying new sites away from residential areas, that are economical. New systems to dispose of the very large volumes of refuse must be developed as economic ventures so that this service could be self-financed.

21.II.10 For the reasons listed above (inadequate finances, unqualified staff, and ineffective management) all classes of services that are provided by the municipalities have considerably deteriorated. Most important is the lack of direction to support effective and efficient services. To improve, organise, maintain, develop and sustain a high standard of environmental development (e.g., adequate and well-maintained drainage, roads, recreational facilities, markets, abattoirs, day care centres, waste disposal, sanitation), there must be greater attention from the municipalities.

21.II.11 The irresponsible behaviourial traits of the municipalities have impacted heavily on the urban societies of Guyana, and have transferred themselves to the communities, into the negative attitudes of some youths as they mature into adulthood. This has resulted in an increased incidence of crime, a disregard for law and order, and a lack of a sense of responsibility for other members of the community.

21.II.12 The severity of urban sprawl has a greater effect within the boundaries of Georgetown, although it also affects other urban centres, to a lesser degree. Containment will be very difficult because education, employment, and government administrative facilities are all in the capital city, where most of the commerce and industries are located. However, Georgetown’s ‘advantages’ in these matters are in many respects only a mirage. It will therefore be necessary to develop the other towns and rural areas of the country, if Guyana’s overall quality of life will be enhanced.

21.II.13 Unauthorised development on the fringes of the growing urban area violates sanitation and environmental regulations, planned development, and exerts severe pressure on existing infrastructure and related services. As a result, the population becomes more susceptible to disease and flooding as uncontrolled housing development escalates. In addition, the sprawl will eventually increase daily transport times for most residents.

21.II.14 High costs of materials, labour and machinery are the major constraints that restrict infrastructural development and the execution of other development work. Larceny and the deliberate damage of materials and equipment contribute to the financial burden of municipalities, government, and other related agencies.

21.II.15 A major factor which impedes better performance are the poor working conditions found in the government agencies (malfunctioning equipment, cramped office space, poor lighting, sanitation and telephone services, etc.). In addition, many agencies, - Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, regions, municipalities, GUYWA, GSWC, GPL, CH&PA, the Central Board of Health, etc. – operate in isolation, within their own institutional framework, and do not benefit from the synergies which ought to exist in a rational system. Indeed, because in many instances their functions and responsibilities overlap, they hinder development by their very presence.

21.II.16 The lack of full-time paid mayors and deputy mayors, chairmen and vice-chairmen of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, also affects levels of participation and involvement for effective coordinated efforts to improve urban development.

21.II.17 Until the signing of an agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank very little capital was available to improve and adequately maintain infrastructure. Development has therefore been heavily constrained due to years of economic crises in the public sector, which resulted in the increased migration of skilled manpower. A high poverty ratio and a still high unemployment rate are elements of concern for municipalities, local government, and other institutions, as they affect the economic base of the urban centres.

21.II.18 Some of the constraints in the water area are:

- parts of the water and sewerage system date back to the late 19th century;

- adequate investment to meet increasing operational and maintenance costs not been available over the last two decades;

- the inability to provide satisfactory remuneration for senior employees is having a negative impact on the ability of the organisation to improve operations;

- the poor structural conditions of most of the water distribution network, lead to water losses of up to 75 percent of total production;

- the poor operation of the sewerage system due to pumps being out of service, broken sewers, and blocked lines, sometimes makes the cities virtually unlivable;

- many of the electrical and mechanical plants are in very poor condition; and

- there are too many undefined policies and goals for the system, with unclear strategic directions; and

- Georgetown has expanded beyond its boundaries, eroding even its greenbelt zone around the city. Even some of the open spaces within the city and towns are now being used for residential development. This trend has to be stopped.

21.III.1 The overriding objective is to make Georgetown and other cities more habitable places in the 21st century, meeting their citizens’ requirements for improved access to basic services and amenities, and fulfilling their physical potential to be unique and attractive places in which to live and work and take recreation.

21.III.2 More specifically the objectives are as follows:

(i) To improve, upgrade and sustain urban infrastructure.

(ii) To improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of municipal management and services

(iii) To improve the financial status of the municipalities.

(iv) To improve the capabilities of the staff of municipalities.

(v) To facilitate greater interagency coordination, especially as between infrastructure agencies and municipalities.

(vi) To embark on an environmental education programme aimed at sensitising the population about urban development and related issues.

(vii) To reduce the level of unauthorised development and to regularise informal development.

(viii) To promote higher-density development and re-establish a greenbelt around Georgetown with recreational facilities.

(ix) To develop an improved system for managing the city’s canals and draining areas of water accumulation.

(x) To zone Georgetown in a way that protects residents from noxious activities and also protects its priceless architectural heritage.

21.IV.1 The financial base of municipalities and local authorities will be broadened and strengthened through the revaluation of properties and road licenses, revenues, improved systems of rate collection and through municipalities being granted a percentage of the road licenses and other such revenues being collected by the Central Government.

21.IV.2 The authority to make valuations in urban areas in the future will be vested in the six municipalities.

21.IV.3 Special training courses in property evaluation will be conducted in Guyana for these municipalities. In addition, the better students will be sent abroad for further training, and on study tours to observe the valuation methods that are used in other places.

21.IV.4 Higher rates and taxes will be charged for all property in municipal areas. These new rates will not be imposed in one fell swoop, but will be increased gradually over a period of five years. Thereafter they will be raised at stated periods of time.

21.IV.5 The municipalities will begin to contract out the task of rate collection, with commissions paid in relation to the amounts collected.

21.IV.6 Automatic grants at a rate to be decided by the Central Government and the Municipalities, and then inscribed in a law will be distributed annually to municipalities and NDCs in proportion to their respective populations.

21.IV.7 Income generating activities for urban centres will be initiated. Such activities will include surcharging heavy trucks that use the road networks of the municipalities; selling fertile top soil to farmers in areas of poor soil, for agricultural activities; and exporting sand and other products to local and overseas markets. These activities will be under the direction of professional managers appointed by the Council and all profits will be utilised to improve the general welfare of the towns.

21.IV.8 Municipalities will introduce road taxes on heavy vehicles that utilise the roads of the inner cities.

21.IV.9 To curtail urban sprawl a three-pronged strategy will be put in place: (i) State lands will be allocated to a greenbelt and freehold land will be purchased for that purpose wherever necessary, (ii) measures will be adopted to encourage higher-density housing for the middle class, and (iii) secondary centres will be established beyond the greenbelt with adequate roadways cutting through the greenbelt to the city.

21.IV.10 The following criteria will be used in identifying the proposed secondary centres: population concentration; levels of existing services and facilities; distance from existing urban centres; communication linkages; and functional, economic, and logistic characteristics. Based on these criteria, the following areas will be considered Mahaica, Mahaicony, Rosignol, Lethem, Soesdyke, Parika, Supernaam, Grove, Charity, Bartica, Vreed-en-Hoop. These secondary centres already have access to resources such as waterways for river transport, roads, airstrips, etc.

21.IV.11 With the development of those secondary centres that already have the prerequisites of a town (road networks, markets, education and health facilities, etc.), pressure on the already overloaded systems will be minimised. Development of the infrastructure in these centres and provision of incentives will encourage investors to establish businesses that would create employment for the residents.

21.IV.12 A physical development plan will be prepared for the greenbelt policy and estimates will be made of the required amounts of State land and the cost of acquiring the necessary freehold land.

21.IV.13 A greater density of urban settlement will be created by encouraging the private sector to construct duplexes and condominiums for sale to the middle class. This Strategy is developed more fully in the chapter on Housing. This population group would be the main target group that would need to be persuaded over time to shift its preferences (in part) away from single-family dwellings and towards structures of greater population density. Higher density dwellings will have the further advantage of generating more tax revenues per acre than the current pattern of settlement does.

21.IV.14 In addition, high density business offices will be established. This will help to release more individual homes for residential purposes.

21.IV.15 Garbage collection in all municipalities will be contracted out, with a special system of incentives for cleaning up loose paper and garbage as well as that which is deposited in designated collection points.

21.IV.16 New landfill sites will be identified taking care to avoid seepage into groundwater supplies and to observe other environmental requisites.

21.IV.17 Urban zoning regulations will be updated and their enforcement provisions strengthened.

21.IV.18 Special zoning provisions will be made for Georgetown’s architectural heritage, ensuring that buildings constructed or rehabilitated conform to the historical architectural style. Existing buildings that do not conform architecturally need to be required to put on specified kinds of wood facing to bring them into approximate conformance.

21.IV.19 Standard criteria will be adopted in order to instal comparable and uniform methods of property tax assessment.

21.IV.20 A computer mass appraisal (CAMA) system will be selected and adapted for property tax assessment.

21.IV.21 Staff will be trained in data collection and entry tasks; and in mass appraisal methods.

21.IV.22 In all six municipalities, steps will be taken, with the assistance of an international lending agency, to rehabilitate and maintain all the municipal roads and drainage networks, reconstruct commercial facilities such as markets, abattoirs and stellings, as well as rehabilitate street lighting systems, and upgrade municipal government facilities. All this will be done by 2005.

21.IV.23 In order to improve the drainage system in Georgetown the several sunken wrecks, which are now located at the mouth of the Demerara river, will be removed.

21.IV.24 "Pick-up" and "put-down" passenger points will be constructed at strategic places in all the towns in order to regulate the flow of traffic and to enhance the convenience of passengers. These points will be applicable to all mini-buses and other forms of public transport.

21.IV.25 The private sector will be encouraged to construct parking garages, particularly in Georgetown, by way of incentives and tax rebates.

21.IV.26 Municipalities will also lay down parking sites for private drivers, mini-buses and taxis. These will have to be paid for. Parking requirements will be strictly enforced. Parking metres will be put in place.

21.IV.27 The revised fees for the upgraded laws will be strictly enforced.

21.IV.28 All the avenues in Georgetown will be upgraded and refurbished, along the lines of the Camp Street rehabilitation scheme. This will be the combined effort of the central government, the municipality, and the communities who live along the roads.

21.IV.29 The policing arm of the municipalities will be strengthened in order to enable them to deal specifically with all aspects of municipal crime.

21.IV.30 For the municipalities the system of proportional representation, in which councillors are elected from lists supplied by party leaders, will be changed to a first-past-the-post constituency system, in which prospective councillors stand for election in various "wards" or "constituencies".