Bar, club owners can access Development Bank funding to soundproof facilities – Pres Ali

– as ‘Model Village Initiative’ consultations move to Reg 6

As the Guyana Government pushes to create ‘model villages’ across the country, proprietors of bars and nightclubs within communities are being encouraged to tap into financing from the Guyana Development Bank (GDB) to soundproof their establishments to avoid disturbing residents. This was revealed by President Dr Irfaan Ali during a public consultation at Rose Hall in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). Over the past few days, the Head of State has been engaging residents in various communities across the country where the pilot phase of the Model Village initiative will be rolled out. According to President Ali, the number one issue that people raise during these community meetings is noise nuisance. Emphasising the importance of building communities where neighbours are respectful to each other, the Guyanese leader outlined plans for the Government to work with business owners to curb this issue.

“We want to work with all of the established bar and entertainment areas to see how we can grant concessions for them to bring in soundproof material. So, with [funding from] the Development Bank, they can enclose their bars with soundproof material so those who want to hear the noise hard can go inside, but the noise does not come out to affect the neighbourhood,” Ali stated.
In fact, in two weeks’ time, a team of Government Ministers, including Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh; Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, and Government Efficiency and Implementation Minister Zulfikar Ally, along with other senior officials, will return to Region Six to launch the Guyana Development Bank.
Just last month, the National Assembly passed the GDB Act 2026, paving the way for existing and aspiring Guyanese small business owners to start accessing financing and other support services. This, coupled with the President’s subsequent assent into law, now allows for the operationalisation of the Development Bank, which will see loans of up to $3 million being provided to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across a wide spectrum of sectors, free of collateral and interest. “[The team of Ministers] will be coming back to talk to you about the Development Bank because we will start the process of putting together clusters of individuals who would want to have support under the Development Bank. We want to work with you on creating those opportunities,” the president said on Saturday. During these public engagements, the Head of State has been touting the Development Bank as an important component of the Government’s efforts to turn community potential into viable businesses, particularly by supporting young people and women interested in entrepreneurship. “So today, we want to discuss with you a model of Government that will create economic opportunity [and] will foster communities where mental health, wellness, safety, security, dignity, and pride are all part of your daily life,” he told Rose Hall residents. At Rose Hall, residents were presented with a vision to transform the township into a cleaner, safer, more attractive, and better-planned community, with improvements to roads, drainage, recreation, traffic management, fire and public safety and beautification. President Ali explained that a team comprising engineers, architects, planners and Government representatives had gone into the community to conduct an assessment of its state, including infrastructure and subsequently made recommendations for enhancement works. The proposed upgrades include improved drainage and flood control, road rehabilitation and widening, pedestrian crossings, street signs, additional bridges and culverts, upgraded fire hydrants, street lighting, and CCTV cameras. The initiative will also see the rehabilitation of parks, development of new green spaces, debris removal, and the replacement and repositioning of damaged or improperly placed utility poles. It also includes the relocation of informal vending structures along the road’s shoulders to a centralised location that would be transformed into a prime food court in the community.
According to President Ali, “What we want to do is not take away your power to earn. We want to empower you to earn with dignity and pride. So, we will create spaces where we will have people selling food – a nice area like a food court, where you can have community talent [and] people coming out there [in an environment that] is hygienic, with proper flowing water and proper drainage. So, when people come to the country, they come to a beautiful area that is touristic and looks good – somewhere people would want to come and buy food.”
In addition to Rose Hall Town, the Guyanese leader also held public consultations at Port Mourant, Skeldon, and New Amsterdam, where the blueprints were also presented for the enhancement of those communities across Region Six.
These are part of 23 villages being targeted under the pilot phase of the ‘Model Village’ Initiative. So far, discussions have been held with 19 villages in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and Five (Mahaica-Berbice). The remaining four communities are Supenaam, Charity, Suddie, and Anna Regina in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), where consultations will be held on Monday.