Guyana Development Bank: Pres Ali proposes financing for Port Mourant hatchery, tunnel houses

With the foundation set for the Guyana Development Bank (GDB) to be operationalised, President Dr Irfaan Ali has touted a number of proposals that residents of Port Mourant in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) can capitalise on. Addressing residents during a public consultation on the ‘Model Village’ Initiative on Saturday, the Head of State recognised that Port Mourant is a predominantly agricultural community. To this end, he presented some business models that the persons there can tap into with financing from the GDB. However, President Ali pointed out that persons would have to come together and form consortiums in order to benefit from this small business support initiative.
“[We will] establish clusters that we want to work with on the Guyana Development Bank so that we can have hatchery here, we can have the tunnel house programme here [and] we can have the shade house programme here, but working in clusters,” he emphasised. The Guyanese Leader told the residents that a team comprising Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Government Efficiency and Implementation Minister Zulfikar Ally will return to Region Six in two weeks’ time to launch the GDB. They would collaborate with other officials including regional representatives to engage the Port Mourant community with the aim of forming these clusters. “Those persons [come here] to start working with you in clusters so that you can have the maximum gains out of the Development Bank,” Ali posited. Just last month, the National Assembly passed the GDB Act 2026, paving the way for existing and aspiring Guyanese small business owners to start access financing and other support services.
This, coupled with the President’s subsequent assenting 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 free of interest.

Housing support
In addition to business support, the Head of State also assured residents that the Government is working to address 100 per cent of the housing needs in Region Six by the end of 2026. He indicated that every household with existing housing applications is expected to receive allocation letters before the end of the year. Moreover, to ensure allottees move towards homeownership, the President also outlined measures to assist families who have received land but require support to begin construction, including affordable assistance with establishing the foundations of their homes. Ali also announced plans to roll out the social housing programme in the region. This initiative targets persons living with severe disabilities, single parents facing extreme circumstances and other vulnerable groups. With approximately 300 persons targeted initially, the Guyanese Leader said an assessment would have to be done to ensure that the beneficiaries are those with urgent housing needs. “So, there will be a team that will do such an evaluation. And we want to start this programme before the end of the year that will look at building these social houses… So, we want before the end of this year, to have these houses ready in those areas,” he noted.

Model Village
Port Mourant is the latest community to benefit from the Government’s ‘Model Village’ Initiative. During Saturday’s engagement held at the University of Guyana’s (UG) Tain Campus, residents were presented with the plans to improve and transform the community. In Port Mourant, the initiative will focus on upgrading roads, road shoulders, walkways and drainage, alongside improved street lighting, CCTV cameras, fire hydrants and other safety measures.

Plans also include upgrades and expansion of the Port Mourant Market to create safer and more hygienic spaces for vendors and small businesses, as well as improvements to public spaces, parks and recreational facilities. The proposal further includes tree planting, the development of a children’s play park and the construction of a Port Mourant Recreational Park. In addition to Port Mourant, the Guyanese Leader also held public consultations at Rose Hall, Skeldon and New Amsterdam, where the blueprint was 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 were 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 today.