President Ali says government will deliver on commitment of 50,000 house lots

-urges citizens to do things the right way

 Georgetown, Guyana – (October 9, 2020) His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali is confident that his Government’s housing programme will benefit tens of thousands of Guyanese, but also urged citizens to follow the necessary process and do things the right way.

The President gave this assurance during a recent interview where he addressed concerns over squatting at Success, on the East Coast Demerara.

“They [residents of the squatter settlement in Success] met with the Vice President and the Minister of Housing and a team from the Ministry of Housing. Let me say this, we are committed to delivering the 50,000 house lots, but we have to do things the right way.” 

Squatters have been occupying land that belongs to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) at Vryheid’s Lust, Success, and Chateau Margot for some months now. Recently, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) began streamlining the land applications of the squatters, in an attempt to provide some redress.

GuySuCo had announced its intentions to begin land preparation, in line with the Government’s plans to reopen the Enmore Estate. In an effort to achieve this goal, the Corporation would need access to the land occupied by the squatters to carry out its programmes, which includes cultivation—a process that was also affected.

The Head of State pointed to the extent of damage caused to seedling canes and new varieties in the Success area, which resulted in massive revenue loss for the sugar corporation.

President Ali used the opportunity to remind citizens of the importance of following the guidelines and regulations which govern the allocation of lands.

 “All those persons, as we said to them, we asked them to get registered. [Those] who did not apply, we ask them to apply. All of them will be facilitated in the Government housing programme. But we have to get accustomed to doing things the right way too. You have a Government and a President who is willing to listen to you, a President who is willing to work, and a Government who is willing…to work with every Guyanese in realising a better life for all Guyanese, in realising all the promises we made in the manifesto.”

The President also recalled the state of the housing programme when the PPP/C assumed office in 1992 and pointed to the transformation that ensued, which is in stark contrast to what took place under the APNU/AFC government over the last five years.

“When I ran housing, we delivered 30,000 households. We could not have reached everyone, why? When the PPP came to office there was no housing programme. There was no housing ministry. There was no housing budget.  There were over 500 squatter settlements across Guyana. When I left, we brought us down to less than 70 squatter settlements.  We started a hinterland housing development programme. We started a young professional programme. We started a low-income, low-cost housing programme. I invite you to feast your eyes upon what the PPP/Civic Government delivered to the people in relation to housing, and then you will see that the question really should be what took place in the last five years.

“I am calling on Guyanese of all walks of life, to embrace the future with confidence that this Government will deliver to you.”