Legislation for Single Window system by December – Min Croal

With the housing and construction industry rapidly expanding, the PPP/C Government will be implementing a single window electronic processing system to improve the ease of doing business.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal said legislation for the system will be presented to the National Assembly by the end of the year.

“Today I am happy to report that legislation to introduce the Single Window System will conclude by December and implementation will begin immediately,” Minister Croal said during a recent house lot allocation exercise in Region Six.

The housing minister noted that the government has recognised that the increased demands for building permits and other services by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) require a more efficient solution.

Once the legislation is in place, it will significantly reduce the time it takes to complete a transaction as well as steps within the transaction, standardise application forms and checklists, among other things. It will also see the ministry transitioning from paper-based to electronic.

“The Ministry of Housing and Water through CHPA and GWI is facing greater demand for its services. As you are aware, not only do we provide subsidised housing, CHPA for example issues approvals and building permits for commercial and industrial purposes as well as executes town and country planning by way of zoning for residential, commercial and industrial areas,” he explained.

The minister added, “As a result, there is a tremendous need for us to provide these services more efficiently, that is, we must reduce the time taken to conduct business with the Ministry.”

The ministry has already created an online portal which allows house lot applicants to upload their applications or update their information from the comfort of their homes. The regional offices to ease the residents travelling to the central office in Georgetown.