14,000 land titles distributed over 4 years – Min Bulkan reveals

−$6 B invested in infrastructural upgrades in govt housing schemes 

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, December 5, 2019

Over the last four years, the Coalition Government, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has delivered some 14,000 land titles; a representation of close to 4000 titles per annum.

This was revealed by Minister of Communities, Hon Ronald Bulkan today.

Providing an overview of his ministry’s work, which includes housing and water, Minister Bulkan said the allocations are a great achievement for both the government and citizens.

“It means that these persons or families have a legal instrument, easier to secure mortgages for the construction of their homes. Equally and significantly, the length of time it now takes for the delivery of a title has been significantly reduced to under three months from six months,” he told the Department of Public Information during a “One on One” interview.

The government also pumped some $6 Billion into the upgrades of 31 housing schemes across Guyana that were left bare by the previous government.

Out of the 55,000 house lots, established during the previous administration, almost half of that amount was left undeveloped. Minister Bulkan stated that more than 28,000 of those lots were undeveloped. He reminded that the Coalition Government inherited a “difficult hand” for the provision of housing for Guyanese in need.

From the $6 billion, over $2.9 billion was spent on the construction and upgrades of roads, while another $2.7 billion was spent on the provision of electricity.

“What it speaks to is that the emphasis seems to be on the allocation of a house lot, characterised largely by inadequate infrastructure,”. He said despite the huge investment made on the inadequate infrastructure, the budgetary requirement to complete the infrastructure was some 16 billion.

Due to the upgrades, the administration was also able to establish 10 new housing schemes, from which more than 4,600 house lots were allocated. These include Recht-Door-Zee in Region three, Parcels 1-3 at Providence, Phase four Providence East Bank Demerara, Non Pariel, Peters Hall, La Penitence, Amelia’s Ward, Region ten, Experiment in Region five, Onderneeming, Region two, and Prospect in Region four.

Minister Bulkan revealed too that the Ministry’s initiative of providing built units to Guyanese has seen more than 354 persons making purchases.

“What it meant was that the governmental investment in infrastructure, instead of being invested in areas in low occupancy, it justified the considerable subsidies made by the state in the development of new areas.

The Minister assured that hinterland communities have not been neglected. The Hinterland Housing Programme under the Sustainable Housing partly funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has seen 270 families benefitting from grants to build their homes. An additional 72 families were able to access funds to have their roofs replaced. Some $3.1 Million was invested in the programme.