Gov’t to address land ownership issues in Ann’s Grove, follow-up visit slated for next weekend

Government has committed to addressing longstanding land ownership and other housing related issues in Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara with a follow-up ministerial visit slated for next weekend.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal during Saturday’s ministerial outreach in the village, pledged to further engage with the community and the relevant co-op societies to resolve the issues.

“Once persons in that community are ready, we will work with them because there has always been claim of ancestral lands and all the other challenges that have been posted against us moving to regularise the area. I know the people who occupy there are willing…once there is a clear path for this to happen, it will proceed with the assistance of AG Nandlall,” he explained.

Due to the complexity of the issue in the housing area, Ministers Croal, Joseph Hamilton, Anil Nandlall, SC, and the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission will visit the community next Saturday to commence the process of addressing the land ownership issues in the community. 

Meanwhile, the Housing Ministry’s house lot allocation drive continues to gain momentum with the allocation of over 22,000 house lots across the country to date.

For the east coast corridor, over 6, 759 house lots have been allocated to date. 

In the first quarter of 2023, over 1,472 house lots were allocated on the east coast.

Minister Croal noted that, “For the last six months, the East Coast of Demerara has gotten the most attention in the entire country where housing is concerned.”

This is in keeping with the administration’s manifesto promise to deliver 50,000 house lots to Guyanese by the year 2025.

Some $21 billion has been invested to develop new housing infrastructure along the east coast corridor for 2022 and 2023, which is part of government’s commitment to meet the housing demands.

Last year, $11 billion was expended for housing infrastructure, while new contracts were awarded to expend $10 billion for 2023.

The outreach was led by Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, accompanied by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, and Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton.