New Berbice Push Rekindles Fears of Gov’t Project Failures

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government has unveiled yet another sweeping development agenda — this time targeting Berbice as the “logistical backbone” of Guyana’s emerging industrial and energy network. But even as ministers tout bold plans for deep-water ports, airports, stadiums, housing schemes, digitalisation, and workforce transformation, Guyanese across the political spectrum are questioning whether this is simply another round of lofty PPP promises that may never materialise.

For many, the memory of failed or stalled mega-projects—the Skeldon Sugar Factory, the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, the Specialty Hospital, and others—casts a long shadow over the latest commitments. And skepticism deepens further when recalling that the PPP, under the presidency of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, once promised to make Linden the industrial capital of Guyana. Instead, PPP policies over the years have pushed Linden into economic decline, transforming what was once envisioned as an industrial powerhouse into a community widely described as depressed and underserved.

Against this backdrop, Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, attempted to make the case for a new era of regional transformation during a roundtable discussion at day one of the Berbice Development Summit, held at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.

“There’s a vast range of various interlinked pockets of investment in transport infrastructure, energy infrastructure, social infrastructure, et cetera, that we’re currently very aggressively rolling,” Singh told the gathering of local and international investors, technical experts, and global industrial leaders.

With oil-and-gas-related development accelerating at the mouth of the Demerara River, Singh said Berbice is now being positioned as the next epicentre to support the petroleum sector. A modern deep-water port—a long-standing PPP talking point—was again presented as central to Guyana becoming a transport and logistics leader alongside northern Brazil.

The administration also listed several major social and industrial projects, including new housing schemes, hospitals, a modern stadium, and the transformation of the Rose Hall aerodrome into a municipal airport.

Singh highlighted investments in human capital, referencing the Guyana Technical Training College Inc. (GTTCI) and the Hospitality and Tourism Training Institute (HTTI) at Port Mourant.

“They’re already training people there and including delivering training that two or three years ago, we would have had to have flown people to Canada to get,” he said. “People are now staying right here in Guyana and getting that training in Port Morant.”

Still, many observers caution that impressive presentations do not guarantee results. Linden stands as a painful reminder of what PPP promises can become: unfulfilled visions, abandoned plans, and communities left behind.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally, promoted the government’s digitalisation drive, in keeping with its 2025 manifesto. On Monday, the ministry launched its Public Service Upskilling Platform aimed at preparing the public workforce for what the PPP calls a modern era of governance.

“We’re currently working on a series of measures and apps, for example,” Ally said. “If you want to make an appointment with any government agency, for example, very soon, you can go on your phone, you can go on an app, and you can make an appointment, and you can come for your appointment.”

He added that the administration is working with the private sector to ensure it also modernises in step with the state’s digital transformation plans.

As the Berbice Development Summit continues over the next three days, the government insists that its initiatives will bring “benefits to the people.”

However, after decades marked by spectacular project failures, unkept promises, and the stark example of Linden’s unrealised industrial future, Guyanese are left wondering:

Is this another grand vision destined to collapse, or can the PPP finally deliver what it has repeatedly failed to achieve?