NA Town Council looks to enhance township after subvention increase

– proposals include street lighting and rebuilding interlot drains

The Mayor and Town Council of New Amsterdam (NA M&TC) is proposing street lighting and rebuilding interlot drains with the proposed increase in Government subvention.
The proposal comes on the heels of a significant financial boost announced by Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, who recently revealed that municipalities across Guyana will see their annual subvention allocations increase from GY$18 million to GY$50 million, starting in 2025.
The funds are expected to come through the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
Acting Town Clerk, Kyrandra Gomes, presented the proposal during the council’s recent statutory meeting, outlining a number of infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing the township’s drainage, lighting and road networks.
Gomes noted that the proposal is currently before the council for approval, before being submitted to the Local Government Ministry.
“The first proposal they have is the drainage in front of the market; the front drains through Pitt Street (both sides); and three interlot drains comprising Chapel Street, Pitt Street, and Trinity Street. For Trinity Street, it was suggested that those drains be done in concrete on both sides,” Gomes stated.
Lighting upgrades are also a priority in the proposal, with a recommendation for 30 street lights to be installed in each of the seven constituencies that make up the town.
“There is a proposal for 30 lights per constituency, which will bring us to 210 lights,” she said.
The rehabilitation of several roads also formed a component of the proposal.
“For roads, there is a suggestion for the first two cross streets in Tannery to be done, a footpath in Esplanade Park from the gate to the football field, and the first phase in Vryman’s Erven road in the executive scheme,” she noted.
When the Council submitted its 2025 budget proposal in October last year, with the expected subvention being $18 million, it had proposed to spend $244 million. This figure compares with $133 million, which was proposed for 2024.