More lands allocated under Coalition Govt– Min. Ferguson
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Minister with responsibility for Housing, Hon. Annette Ferguson says the Coalition Government has developed, allocated and made more lands available to Guyanese than the previous administration ever did.
The assertion comes amidst opposition claims that the government is only distributing house lots because the country is on the brink of elections.
Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson and Chief Executive Officer for CHPA Lelon Saul
Min. Ferguson told the media on Tuesday that they were currently addressing a backlog of applications which exceeds 50,000. According to the minister, some of the applications date back to the early 1990s.
The housing department, she said, has been visiting regions and allocating lands where available, particularly in Regions 1, 2, 5, and 6.
“The new process allows for persons to stay within their means, we have not imposed on anyone, that is to say, we make the applicant aware of all possible options available. Be it a housing unit or land which falls within their affordability,” the minister underscored.
The government has spent $2.9Billion on construction and upgrades of roads as well as $2.7Billion on the provision of electricity, with some $16Billion spent on the development of infrastructure in housing areas.
According to Minister Ferguson, the previous administration failed to develop or allocate house lots and, in some cases, deceived many Guyanese, who were desperate to become homeowners.
She added that there was no provision for infrastructure for some 28,000 lots of which the previous administration boasted.
“Approximately half of the house lots developed by the previous adminstration did not have any infrastructure. Some people paid large sums of money in full for lands they could not even see,” Min. Ferguson stated.
She said that under the Coalition Government, persons who had been awaiting allocation in areas like Cummings Lodge, Stewartville, and Covent Gardens for years were provided with their lots.
Minister of Communities, Hon Ronald Bulkan recently disclosed that 14,000 land titles were distributed to Guyanese over the last four years.