Good corporate citizenship Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
April 29, 2004

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THE National Bank of Industry and Commerce and the Georgetown Municipality have embarked on a multi-million dollar project to upgrade the Promenade Gardens.

The NBIC intends to plough an initial $24M into refurbishing the gardens which overlook the bank’s glass-fronted headquarters at New Market and Waterloo Streets.

It is the single largest project in which the bank has invested.

Of course, the bank has a vested interest in keeping its immediate surroundings pleasing to the eye, but the Promenade Gardens, sitting on an entire block that borders other important sites like Independence Ground, Christ Church and State House, is also an historic site that plays host to an array of dignitaries and events ranging from state visits to crowd pullers.

Earlier this year, the Venezuelan President, Mr. Hugo Chavez had a more than three-hour presentation in the scenic surroundings.

The Inner Wheel Hat Show also recently held its annual Hat Show there.

The bank said that among the project’s objectives are restoring the Gardens to its pristine state and turning it into a site that would be suitable for recreational activities and select entertainment.

The Gardens’ rusting red fence, bent out of shape in some places, and walkways are to benefit from a face lift.

Under the project, landscaping, selecting and growth of new plants and general maintenance of the trees, lawns and shrubberies are also to be done, as will the installation of more lights and rebuilding of fountains.

In the interim though, the office could be more presentable with a new paint job.

The NBIC is to be commended first for recognising that, setbacks notwithstanding, Georgetown is a beautiful city, and second, for taking its corporate citizenship seriously.

“It is an act of cooperation that is significant both financially and culturally and we expect that this initiative will soon be emulated by other agencies in the community,” NBIC Managing Director, Mr. Michael Archibald said at the formal signing ceremony at which the bank and City Hall entered a “relationship for progress”.

It is to be hoped that other entities display similar character and tackle other projects to benefit the society at large.