GEORGETOWN, Guyana – A sweeping urban renewal pledge by President Dr. Irfaan Ali for the historic Tiger Bay community is being met with stark skepticism from residents who label the initiative “political trickery” designed to mask decades of neglect and obscure what they believe is the government’s ultimate goal: prime real estate.
The announcement, made by the President during a walkabout on Sunday, promises to transform the long-depressed community into Georgetown’s first “model neighbourhood.” The plan, part of the broader “Rescue Georgetown” initiative, pledges strengthened security, new recreational areas, community collaboration, and a “community-driven revival.”
However, for many long-time residents, the grand promises ring hollow against a backdrop of generational poverty and political abandonment.
“Tiger Bay has been a depressed community for decades. It is depressed because the people are poor. The people are poor because they did not have access to proper education and jobs,” one lifelong resident, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, told this publication. “Today they need counseling, training, jobs, loans to improve their living standards but that will never come.”
The resident articulated a sentiment echoed quietly throughout the community: that the sudden interest is a calculated maneuver. “The government is tricking the Tiger Bay residents. They want those properties by the bay. The following statement is political trickery.”
The government’s announcement outlines an ambitious vision. A committee led by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, has been established to engage residents and oversee the works. The plan includes creating “tourism lanes,” a modern recreational area, a training centre for children, and specialized social programs.
“We are going to work with the community in creating community ownership, community security, because you will have to help us and the police to keep these communities safe [and] clean,” President Ali told residents.
Yet, critics point to the timing and the stark contrast between these future promises and the historical reality. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has governed Guyana for 28 of the past 32 years, a period during which residents say Tiger Bay was systematically forgotten. The government’s newfound urgency, following recent visits and criticisms from the political opposition, has raised eyebrows.
The government’s release does not address the core issues residents identify as the root of the community’s struggles: a critical lack of economic opportunity and social investment. For the residents of Tiger Bay, the proof will not be in cleaned alleyways or planning committees, but in the tangible delivery of the education, jobs, and economic dignity they have been denied for generations. Until then, the President’s “model neighbourhood” remains, for many, a model of empty promises.
