The Board of Directors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved a project to support the Government of Guyana in building capacity in key areas of local government. It aims to decentralise public service delivery, and increase local involvement in social and economic development, consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The project will assist the Government of Guyana in building the capacity of the Guyana Association of Municipalities (GAM). It will also support capacity-building in the Ministry of Communities to better support the process of reform in local government. An institutional assessment of five municipalities, to help these entities improve performance and results delivery, will also be undertaken.

Daniel Best, Director, Projects Department, CDB notes, “The project will provide a clear roadmap for local government reform, which will help reinvigorate local democracy and provide persons in communities with a better understanding of the process, and a greater voice in shaping service delivery and local taxation decision making.”

To better support local government reform efforts, the project aims to achieve key results, including: 

• attaining greater clarity on the resource needs of Ministry of Communities, GAM and the municipalities;
• identifying areas for cooperation and potential synergies to reduce and eliminate wasteful public expenditure; and
• identifying the needs of the vulnerable groups who are likely to be socially and economically excluded;

The project aligns with the Government of Guyana’s efforts to revive the influence and effectiveness of local government. It is consistent with CDB’s strategic objective to promoted good governance in the Region. It aligns with the Bank’s Gender Equality Policy and Operational Strategy and the Special Development Fund Ninth Cycle (SDF 9) themes of supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16, which seeks to promote strong institutions, which are effective, accountable and transparent at all levels.