APNU calls on gov’t to publish Tiger Bay revamp plan before commencement of work

Nov 17, 2025 News

Kaieteur News – The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on Sunday wants the government to publicly release its detailed plans for the proposed “modern neighbourhood” in Tiger Bay, Georgetown.

APNU Shadow, Ministry of Housing Sherod Duncan, M.P

This follows President Irfaan Ali’s walkabout in the Kingston and Tiger Bay communities on Sunday, during which he announced that Tiger Bay would become the first pilot “modern neighbourhood” under the Neighbourhood Love Programme, a key component of the broader Rescue Georgetown Programme.

According to the president, the project aims to renovate buildings, support businesses to create jobs, and improve community safety efforts intended to eliminate long-standing stigma associated with the area. Similar initiatives, he said, will be implemented across other urban areas in Georgetown.

While APNU said it endorses the idea of community upliftment, the party stressed that the government must publish its plans in detail before any work begins. “We all want communities uplifted, families empowered, and opportunities expanded, especially for those who have waited too long for meaningful attention. As a party, APNU has always believed in housing our people, and we remain steadfast in our view that every young Guyanese should receive free land at the bare minimum, as a foundation for building a life, a future, and a stake in their country. Our commitment is simple: Guyanese must be housed with dignity, not with uncertainty or political theatre,” the party stated.

However, APNU argued that such an initiative cannot rely on announcements alone. The party noted that the “model neighbourhood” proposal does not appear in the 2025 National Budget, raising concerns about its legitimacy and funding. “If this initiative is as important to the government as the headline suggests, why was there no budgetary allocation, no project description, no capital plan, and no submission to the national assembly?” the party questioned. APNU added that “major urban redevelopment cannot be sprung on residents without a single published document or line item. Guyanese deserve clarity, not a publicity reveal without parliamentary accountability.”

The party further emphasised the potential displacement of long-standing residents, many of whom lack formal land titles. “In a community like Tiger Bay, such vagueness is more than an administrative oversight, it is a threat. Families there have lived for generations without formal titles. Any redevelopment immediately raises fears of relocation, eviction, or gentrification masquerading as upliftment. Will current residents be allowed to stay? Will they receive secure titles? Will renters be protected? Or will the area be beautified for outsiders while the original community is displaced? Without clear guarantees, residents cannot trust that this initiative is meant for them and not for someone else,” APNU argued.

Highlighting the “human realities” behind such a redevelopment project, the party insisted that a true model neighbourhood must address youth development, anti-violence programmes, livelihood training, education support, domestic-violence protections, and community policing. “These issues are even more pressing now that domestic murders in Guyana have doubled, even as the Government pushes a ‘crime is down’ narrative. Transformation must be built on social protection, not public-relations optics,” the statement added.

APNU concluded that Tiger Bay deserves “real answers, real protection, and real investment, not another grand announcement without a roadmap.” The party called on the government to immediately table the full plan, including the budget, procurement documents, and records of community consultations. “Anything less is not development, it is optics. Development must transform communities with their participation, not in their absence. If Tiger Bay is to be a model neighbourhood, let it be a model for transparency, fairness, and dignity, not for secrecy and uncertainty,” the party stated.

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APNU, APNU Shadow, Georgetown, M.P, Ministry of Housing Sherod Duncan, Neighbourhood, Tiger Bay

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