The government intends to finance its Model Village programme through successive national budgets as it works to eventually introduce the initiative in communities across Guyana.
President Dr Irfaan Ali, during a recent press conference, said 23 communities will initially be used to pilot the programme, which is expected to be developed and expanded over the next five years.
Funding for the first phase has already been catered for in the 2026 National Budget, while additional resources are expected to be allocated in future budgets as the initiative progresses.
“We want to take this across all villages, starting with the heavily populated areas, and it will be financed from the budget,” President Ali said.
Under the initiative, the government intends to combine several aspects of community development, including housing, infrastructure, social services, security, recreation and wellness.
Rather than treating these areas as separate interventions, the President explained that they will form part of a wider development model aimed at improving the quality of life in communities and creating a greater sense of belonging among residents.
The programme will be implemented over several years, with infrastructure and essential social services among the areas to be addressed as communities are developed. Security, recreational facilities and mental health and wellness support are also expected to form part of the initiative.
According to President Ali, the government will assess the rollout in the 23 pilot communities to determine how much can be accomplished within the five-year period before moving ahead with wider implementation.
No overall cost has been announced for taking the programme nationwide.
The initiative follows consultations held across the country, during which residents were given an opportunity to contribute ideas on proposed improvements to their communities.
