Single Window System Bill to be sent to special select committee

The Planning and Development Single Window System Bill of 2022, which seeks to improve the ease of doing business in Guyana, will be sent to a special select committee for further consideration.

The bill provides for the establishment of a single-entry point and platform for processing and approving planning and development applications.

It specifies the functions related to land use planning and development, creates an appeal tribunal, and includes consequential amendments to other pieces of legislation to prevent duplication and overlap.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal informed the house that he, along with technical personnel from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) met with members of the opposition on Sunday, April 23. During the meeting, several amendments were proposed.

Minister Croal announced that the bill will be sent to a special select committee for a brief period to consider the opposition’s proposals.

The government has also proposed a new section to the bill – Section 27 (A), which states ‘in the event of any conflict between the provisions of this act and those of any other law, the provisions of this act shall prevail.’

While defending the government’s decision to implement this critical piece of legislation, the minister stated that the move demonstrates the government’s commitment to a robust, efficient, and transparent system.

Minister Croal emphasised that as Guyana strives to improve its ranking on the ease of doing business index, the implementation of the Planning and Development Single Window System becomes a critical tool.

“This platform will bring predictability, less bureaucracy, transparency, reduce cost, and compromise.

“This is an investment that will bring tremendous dividends to the users and will demonstrate that when we say Guyana is open for business, our walk matches our talk,” he said.

The opposition wants the director of the unit, who will be responsible for the administrative functions of the system, to be appointed on the recommendation of the Committee of Appointments of the National Assembly. 

It is also asking for the unit to be staffed through appointments by the Public Service Commission and for the Planning Oversight Committee to have a nominee from the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.

“This is a purely administrative unit with day-to-day management and functions of a system. I do not see the need for the director of this unit to be appointed by the Committee of Appointments of the National Assembly,” Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues stated.

Minister Rodrigues said the ministry has done extensive consultations with the relevant agencies on the implementation of the single window system, and questioned the motive behind the opposition’s ‘last minute’ proposals.

“All we can conclude is that this is an attempt to politicise the process. But more importantly, they want to frustrate the process,” she told the house.

Also supporting the bill were Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond and Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall.