“Fix the cemeteries” – VP tells NDCs

– as public complaints are raised about condition of cemeteries across the country

Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has asked Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to place greater focus on maintaining cemeteries, as Government looks to give greater responsibilities to local Government bodies, with each NDC receiving $30 million in annual subventions— up from $5 million previously.
During his weekly press conference on Thursday, VP Jagdeo reminded that clean, well-maintained cemeteries are vital to preserving dignity, respect, and public health, noting that many families have expressed frustration with overgrown, neglected burial grounds where tall grass, dense bush and even swarms of bees pose a threat to mourners.
He told media that in several instances, mourners have been forced to confront hazardous and unsanitary conditions while paying final respects to their loved ones.
According to the VP, this should no longer be a major concern for residents, given the significant increase in Government support. Effective this year, each NDC received $30 million in annual subventions.
“We asked these bodies to focus on cemeteries, and largely cemeteries because people have been complaining. This is one of the issues that they raise anytime we visit communities – about the state of disrepair that the cemeteries are faced with across the country, and we’ve asked them to focus on upgrading the cemeteries or approaches and clearing the bush.”
“This is not a task for central Government or the region, it’s a task for the local Government bodies. They have not been addressing this with diligence, and so we spoke last week when I met with them at the convention centre. We spoke about the need to address this issue, and we gave them the resources to do so,” Jagdeo said.
Jagdeo noted that the funding increase is part of a broader strategy to empower local Government bodies and push more decision-making to the community level. He acknowledged that while the central and regional Governments are focused on larger infrastructure and outfall systems, NDCs are better positioned to handle village-level issues, such as internal drainage, cemetery upkeep, and waste management.
To complement the financial support, Government has also delivered 66 mini excavators to local bodies, and plans to procure 20 more, helping NDCs tackle internal drainage and irrigation problems with greater efficiency.

Waste collection services
Beyond cemetery rehabilitation, Jagdeo urged NDCs to intensify waste collection services. During last Thursday’s press conference, it was also revealed that the Government has begun providing compactors, tractors, and trailers to assist with garbage removal, particularly in underserved rural areas.
NDCs have also been instructed to identify local landfill sites, to reduce the burden of transporting waste over long distances—an issue exacerbated by limited tax revenue.
“We are going to spend a huge sum of money working with them to ensure that in every local Government body in Guyana, that they have their own landfill site that’s properly managed there and they can then offer a decent service to the people who reside within those local Government bodies… It’s part of the plan that we have spoken of to give greater responsibilities to local Government bodies to devolve some of the functions and authority that the region and the central Government have, into the hands of these bodies, and to ensure that they’re better equipped to manage this task,” he explained.
While Jagdeo emphasised the immediate focus on cemetery clearing and basic services, he stressed that the initiative is not just about “clearing bush”, but part of a decentralisation effort aimed at transferring more functions from central authorities to empowered, better-equipped local councils.