Housing and You…Applying to build a shop or additions for commercial activities

Jul 28, 2013 News

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By Leonard Gildarie

Today we want to talk just a little about what happens when you are applying to build a shop or additions for any commercial activities.
You have to get planning permission from both the local Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).
The idea behind this is essentially to ensure things are built in the right place. You are mandated to apply for planning permission once your home or property cannot be used any longer as merely a private residence.
Once you have finalised what you are building, you will need to purchase a planning application form from your local authority or the CH&PA. Your application must be accompanied by a site location plan, detailed plans of proposed works and a copy of the documents showing ownership – including title or transport.
You will be required to submit at least three copies of the proposed drawings or plans. Upon submission to the NDC, the Public Health Inspector there will have to assess and give his/her approval. The application is then forwarded to the NDC’s Work Committee which approves building constructions and other developments in the community. The NDC will then submit the application to the CH&PA. Regarding the time at the NDC, the application process can go up to a month, but in some cases if you know someone…you know how it goes in Guyana.
CH&PA will send a letter of acknowledgment that the application is being processed.
Now, having firsthand knowledge of the process has proven valuable. While it is hardly ever likely that CH&PA overturns the application, I think one should wait. However, the application can take a while because of the checks that have to be followed by the Authority.
Some NDCs will advise you to proceed. It is your call. I think you should wait.
The CH&PA is saying that it will send a letter notifying you of the decision. Works can only begin when the building permit is granted by the NDC. Once you have received permission to build, you have two years to do so or the process with the NDC and the CH&PA will have to start all over again.That is the process in a nutshell.
Since starting to write on housing again, I have been swamped with numerous questions. But there have been some that had nothing to do with housing. One man asked me to address what he described as deliberate rip-offs by private hospitals and some questionable activities at the public ones.
I will attempt to speak on the concerns raised. I would want to say that first-off, the idea here is to engineer some kind of debate and maybe ask our medical fraternity to take a hard look at some of the private practices.
About two weeks ago, a prominent businessman told me that a friend of his was in a private hospital. Because of his condition, the patient had to get oxygen to assist him with breathing.
The businessman was picking up the tab. The final bill was to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, he was not too concerned about that. It was one item…oxygen…that was the charge that caught his eye. For a few hours of oxygen, the bill was over $100,000.
With a bottle under $20,000, the businessman was angry, knowing that his friend could not have used even half a bottle. I understand that hospitals, like any other business, have to factor in overheads, among other things when it comes to tallying the final bill. In other countries, like the US, it is unthinkable to get ill without some form of medical insurance. It is that expensive.
But the oxygen issue seemed to have been a glaring case. On the actual bill, there were costs for swabs, needles and gloves, among other things. The businessman said he was not too mindful of the costs of these. It is the principle, he says. I wish I could say the same.
Recently, someone complained about going to a regional public hospital because of a pain in her throat. The medical personnel, after listening to her, diagnosed acid reflux as the problem. She was recommended some medicine linked to indigestion.
Two weeks later, same problem. She went to another public hospital. The doctor there examined her throat, using a flashlight. Her tonsils were inflamed and had been like that for awhile. He ordered monthly antibiotic shots for the next six months. Normally, I understand, one cannot receive the shots until tests are done to ensure your body would be okay to accept the treatment. The tests were waived.
I have also been told that at least one private hospital has an extremely high rate of C-Sections. This is extremely worrying if true. We have no data to make comparisons. However, while a natural delivery can cost around $50,000 and a C-Section up to $300,000, the implications are eye-opening. The doctors at the private hospital are the ones that make the call for a C-Section. For those who don’t know, a C-Section operation changes a woman’s life for a number of years.
I do know for a fact that public hospitals would only go for a C-Section if there are significant risks involved in the natural birth that can threaten that mother.
I would sincerely hope that someone in authority check the statistics. I hope that the reports we have been receiving are totally false and that those in the medical profession, particularly in the private practice, have been adhering to their sacred oath of protecting the sick. From a reporting perspective, I will be making some calls to the private hospitals this week to see if some data would be made available for publication.
Enjoy the weekend and don’t forget as usual to drop your comments at [email protected].

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