Latest update February 9th, 2025 1:59 PM
Latest News
- Gunmen rob money changer at America Street
- Couple dies in fire at Hydronie, EBE
- “Oil-rich Guyana is worse off from the very start”- Glenn Lall
- Terrence Campbell to remain member of oil money Investment Committee despite transparency concerns in use of revenues
- Trump freezes aid to South Africa amid spat over land expropriation law
5,000 Region Two residents receive houselots
Some 5,000 Essequibo residents have received house lots that were issued Friday as the Ministry of Housing took its “One Stop Shop” programme to Region Two.
The programme, according to a government statement, saw thousands of Region Two residents convening at the Anna Regina Town Council Building, Region Two, (Pomeroon/Supenaam) to secure a chance of owning their own home.
Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali delivering remarks during the Ministry’s ‘One Stop Shop’ exercise.
The Ministry’s team also addressed housing and water issues including allocation, identification and payment of house lots, processing and distributing of titles and transports and customer complaints, bill queries and leakage reports.
Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, while delivering remarks at the opening of the programme, said that despite the constraints of resources, Government continues to deliver goods and services to the people in the region.
This is part of the country’s overarching commitment of delivering an integrated service to citizens.
Also present were the commercial banks including the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), Republic Bank and New Building Society.
Minister Ali noted that this is the Ministry’s efforts to stimulate the housing sector and to ensure that persons access financing which is required for construction.
“Government moved to increase the loan ceiling that has special provision for low income earners, creating an environment for reduction of the interest rates as such special interest rate are now offered for mortgage agreement between the commercial banks and the Government.”
There is evidence of aggressive works by the banks in promoting the service, and the government official urged the resident to make use of the opportunity and incentives to access easier and more affordable financing.
Prior to moves by government to allow commercial banks to offer lower interest rates, the New Building Society was the only entity offering such arrangement.
While making mention of the country’s achievement as it relates to development, Minister Ali said that across the Caribbean, there was a ‘bust’ in housing development and as a result a number of foreclosures occurred in North American.
However, he noted that Guyana has been fortunate as a result of stringent measures embarked upon by President Bharrat Jagdeo, and as such, incentives for home lending are now accessible.
Chief Executive Officer, Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Myrna Pitt, said that the service being brought to the Region is a continuous improvement which the CH&PA embraces as it seeks to improve on the quality of its performance.
“This is part of our efforts of continuous development to improve the quality of our performance as it relates to the services that we provide. We believe in the user base definition of quality and embrace the quality principle of being customer focused as we seek in this tangible way to be of service to you,” she said.
Pitt noted that the CH&PA is committed to providing a responsive service that will meet the needs of citizens and in this regard, she said that it has chosen to improve on the delivery of service.
As such, a ‘One Stop Shop’ arrangement has since been implemented at the authority’s head office, giving applicants a chance to process their application and conduct interviews at the same time.
Regional Chairman, Ali Baksh, while outlining developments in the region said that 10 new housing schemes have since been developed in Region Two alone.
He noted that $450M has been spent for the construction of a water treatment plant which has benefited over 20,000 residents, while $24M has been spent for the upgrading of service connections and the installation of water meters in the Queenstown and Walton Hall areas.
A new well was also drilled at Somerset and Berks at a cost of $20M. “The amount we have spent last year alone is over $502 benefiting each community. Additionally we have spent through the Ministry in collaboration with the region $230M for the installation of a transmission main from Queenstown to Walton Hall. This is to ensure that the water flows better.”
For this year, the Regional Chairman said that a new well which will be drilled in Aurora at a cost of $70M, to benefit 4,000 residents.
Other wells which will be constructed include one at Lima Sands- $46M and another Onwerneeming at a cost of $31M.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
You cannot borrow your way to prosperity
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-The Jagdeo Doctrine is an absurd, reckless, and fundamentally shortsighted economic fallacy.... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
