Dear Editor,
In recent weeks, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, has embarked on a series of highly visible walkabouts at markets across Guyana — from East Ruim-veldt and East La Penitence in George-town, to the Suddie Market on the Esse-quibo Coast, to communities along the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara. The question many ordinary Guyanese are quietly asking is: are these visits genuine governance, or have we entered the era of the ministerial “corner street gaff”?
Let us be fair. There is something refreshing about a cabinet minister lacing up her shoes and walking through the mud and market stalls alongside vendors who have waited decades for attention. Vendors at East Ruimveldt, for instance, pointed to damaged internal roads, clogged drains, and sections of the market that have not seen meaningful upgrades in decades — with one stallholder recalling rehabilitation works begun in 2006 that were never fully completed. That these concerns are finally being heard at the ministerial level is not nothing.
The minister has signalled that a nationwide assessment of public markets is underway, with outreach visits to continue across the country as government moves to craft a coordinated rehabilitation plan. With approximately $18 billion earmarked for rehabilitation works at markets across the country in Budget 2026, the financial commitment appears serious on paper.
And yet, the cynic in many of us stirs. Guyanese have seen this playbook before — the theatrical walkthrough, the nodding minister surrounded by engineers and cameras, the promises issued to eager vendors. The real test is not whether Minister Manickchand can draw a crowd at Suddie or generate a warm photo opportunity at East La Penitence. The test is whether, six months or a year from now, the roofs have been repaired, the drains unclogged, and the vendors’ no longer need to wade through floodwater to earn a living.
Corner street gaff, for the uninitiated, is our Guyanese term for idle talk — conversation that sounds good, flows easily, and commits to nothing. It is warm and engaging in the moment, and forgotten by nightfall. A minister who visits markets, listens attentively, and then returns to an air-conditioned office while the same problems fester is, in effect, engaging in institutionalised street gaff — with a budget attached.
To be fair to Minister Manickchand, her direct engagement style does appear more substantive than mere optics. She has also taken the message of accountability on the road, reminding local government officials in Region Six that they are servants of the people — a reminder that, frankly, bears repeating across all levels of government.
But accountability must flow both ways. The vendors who opened their stalls and their hearts to the minister deserve follow-through, not follow-up photo ops. We urge civil society to track these commitments systematically — market by market, promise by promise. Because in Guyana, the distance between a ministerial visit and a completed drain can sometimes stretch into eternity.