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636 lots distributed in first half
-$1.1B spent to develop schemes
Government, for the first half of this year, spent almost $650M to develop over 2,250 house lots.
The recently released Mid Year Report by Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, also disclosed that while Government budgeted $3.1B for the housing sector this year, only $1.1 billion was expended so far to improve the living conditions of citizens by providing access to affordable housing, upgrading infrastructure in housing schemes and the regularisation of squatter settlements.
During the first six months, some 636 house lots were distributed with 1,540 titles processed.
Additionally, two community development plans have been finalised for Tuschen and Ordnance FortLands along with a One Stop Shop outreach exercise completed at Enmore, East Coast Demerara.
Some 636 house lots were distributed in the first half of this year, the Government’s Mid Year Report says.
Another One Stop Shop exercise will be carried out in the second half of the year, for the areas of Providence, Farm, Prospect, Covent Garden, Onderneeming, Zeelugt, Lust-en-Rust, Zeeburg/De Willem, and Hope/Experiment the report disclosed.
Under the Low Income Settlement Two programmes, $370.7M was disbursed.
Regarding the 210 core houses targeted for construction this year, 67 were completed, while another 59 are in progress.
In the area of ‘Home Improvement Subsidies’, of the 200 subsidies targeted for distribution for this year, 52 were disbursed to eligible families in areas including Lusignan, Block ‘D’ Bath, Eliza and Mary and Ankerville, benefitting more than 234 persons. The report said that the Housing Ministry expects that the remainder will be disbursed by year end.
In the Hinterland Housing Pilot, 34 subsidies were disbursed, while another 36 homes have been selected for complete replacement, in areas including Manawarin, Massara,
Kwatamang, Annai, Whitewater, Oronoque and Katoka, benefitting approximately 490 persons directly.
Regarding the “turnkey housing initiative”, 48 houses for young professionals were constructed.
Meanwhile, in the water sector, of a total of $2.7B budgeted for the year, $455.5M has been expended in the first six months towards increasing access to quality water supply.
According to the Mid Year Report, a major component of the programme is the reduction of non-revenue water losses by improvement of collection, metering of customers, reducing leakage in the network and increasing access to treated water.
“To this end, works have commenced on service connections upgrades in Linden, in areas such as Kara Kara, Noitgedacht, Nottinghamshire, Amelia’s Ward, One Mile, Half Mile, Christianburg, Canvas City, West Watooka and Richmond Hill.”
Works being done on wells at Cotton Tree and Hope are substantially completed.
Construction of wells, service connections upgrades, trestles and upgrading of water treatment plants in areas such as Better Hope – Mon Repos in Region 4 and Port Mourant in Region 6 will be completed by the end of the year.
Plans are also underway to provide potable water supply to hinterland communities, which will see upgrades in areas such as Matthews Ridge, Paruima, Akawini, Bamboo Creek, Rupertee and Port Kaituma.
In the area of sanitation, the Mid Year Report said that for 2013, a total of $600M was budgeted for the year.
Of this, $238.6M was expended to continue rehabilitation of sewerage stations in Georgetown, four of which were completed including at Saffon and Sussex Streets, Russell and Princess Streets, Hadfield and Camp Streets, and Light and Fifth Streets. Works have commenced at another four locations.
“The energy efficiency pilot project aimed at reducing energy consumption at pumping stations has advanced with the procurement of equipment and commencement of a study.”
For the first six months of the year, around 730,000 tablets have been distributed to treat filaria and other neglected tropical diseases. Another $161.2M was expended to facilitate the procurement of two collection trucks, 825 bins and continue infrastructural works on the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill.
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