Dear Editor,
The growing number of derelict and abandoned properties across Georgetown has become an embarrassment and a public hazard. Many of these buildings have been left to rot for years, their owners either absent or unwilling to maintain them, while surrounding communities are forced to endure the consequences.
This raises a straightforward question: why has the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown not taken decisive action to deal with these properties?
In many countries, municipal authorities have the power to impose penalties, place liens on neglected properties for unpaid taxes or nuisance violations, and ultimately auction them to responsible buyers who are prepared to rehabilitate them. Yet in our case, abandoned structures remain standing indefinitely—often collapsing, attracting squatters, and becoming breeding grounds for criminal activity.
Is it that the council lacks the legal authority, or is there simply a lack of will to confront absentee owners and long-standing neglect? If the laws are inadequate, then the government should move swiftly to modernize them. If the authority already exists, then the public deserves to know why it is not being used.
Allowing these buildings to decay unchecked undermines the development and image of Guyana at a time when the country is experiencing unprecedented economic growth. Urban renewal cannot take place while prime urban land sits idle behind crumbling walls and boarded windows.
The public deserves clear answers and, more importantly, decisive action.