Infrastructure implemented to deliver 10,000 new house lots  in Region Three by year-end – President Ali

President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced that the government has implemented the necessary infrastructure for the development over  10,000 new house lots in Region Three by the end of this year.

The president made this announcement during a press briefing on day-two of the  Office of the President (OP) Direct outreach at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, West Coast Demerara, on Friday.

“We are also launching the low income housing programme. We are launching the professional,” he said.

The initiative offered citizens a unique opportunity to voice their concerns directly to the president. Representatives from various government agencies and ministries were also present to assist with addressing citizens’ concerns.

According to President Ali, close to 5,000 persons were engaged during the activity, with over 1,770 issues resolved at the time of the press conference.

Housing was one of the main issues addressed during the outreach,  given the significant development in the sector across the region.

The president highlighted that most of the individuals who applied for  housing programmes were young people under 25 years old, which he considered a ‘remarkable accomplishment.’

“ There is a situation here where we had a old housing area in Leonora Pasture… 100-year old issue, we have been able to resolve in the last 24-hours here, bringing titles to people,” the head of state highlighted.

Through the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), a number of issues regarding land leases were also addressed.

“For the first time I think we are ahead of the game in this region. We have more than 70 leases sitting in the office that people need to pick up. We are going to advertise those leases publicly,” the president reported.

The president attributed the numerous housing issues in the region to the lack of ‘investment and vibrancy’ in the sector during the tenure of the previous administration.

The  PPP/C Administration has taken steps to address these issues and has made significant progress in the last two and a half years, he underscored.

“Nothing was done in housing for five years, and this is a demonstration of an ineffective government in five years.. So we have brought back housing to one of the most vibrant sector in the history of Guyana,” he stated.

Other issues addressed related to the National Insurance Scheme, agriculture, social services, and community infrastructure such as roads and drainage.

To address the issues in ‘real time,’ at the outreach,  the president’s office utilised technology to track the progress and conduct follow-ups and referrals.

Additionally, persons also took advantage of the opportunity to discuss investment projects that they would like to pursue in the region. These projects include large-scale agriculture, hotels, apartments, real estate, supermarkets, and manufacturing facilities.

“So there are a lot of proposals that came to us that were able to pass to GO-Invest. The minister of finance is following up on a lot of this,” he explained.

In fact,  the president announced that very soon, an internationally branded plantain factory will be commissioned in the region.

The president emphasised the significance of the exercise, stating that it enables the government to understand the priorities of the communities and, by extension, the region. This information will guide the government in developing its budgetary framework.