Guyanese and visitors to Georgetown will soon enjoy the use of Parliament Square, following a move by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to rehabilitate the neglected urban park. The Government has taken a decision for management and ownership of the park to be reverted to the CH&PA.
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal led a team to inspect the facility on Wednesday to get a better understanding of the scope of the upgrades to be done, the Department of Public Information has reported. Speaking with DPI at the site, Minister Croal said, “you have a fountain here that has not been maintained. You have all the lights have been damaged. It has been overrun by vagrants. Around this facility, you can see dumping of garbage and that is certainly not what’s not intended for this part [of Georgetown].”
The Minister said Government intends to restore the facility to its former glory and ensure that the nation benefits from the project. “We want persons to come here. You can host activities here, to have small activities, keeping in mind the COVID regulations. We want persons to come here, take pictures and enjoy that nice cool, comfortable atmosphere,” he said.
The Government also intends to construct a snackette at the site to sustain the cost of upkeeping the facility. Parliament Square was transferred under the previous administration, from under the purview of the CH&PA to the Georgetown Mayor and City Council. This move, Minister Croal said, had not led to prudent management of the facility and it soon fell into disrepair.
Minister Croal said the PPP/C Administration made a decision last year to revert the management and ownership of Parliament Square to the CH&PA. An absolute grant would be issued by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission. A management committee has also been established to run the facility. Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Housing and Water, Mr. Andre Ally and Chief Executive Officer of CH&PA, Mr. Sherwyn Greaves also attended the site visit. Parliament Square was conceptualised by then Minister and now President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and built in 2012 to the tune of $37 million.
