Housing & You … Training and licencing in a growing construction sector

May 04, 2014 News

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Last week, we spoke extensively on the processing of those land titles at the Land Registry, including some of those hurdles. It is the intention to also ask the Deeds Registry about their critical work. We will target that next week.

In the meantime, our readers have been demanding information about the measures that should be in place to protect them.

I will attempt to answer this in the broadest way possible. In the past, we had taken a look from several perspectives of spotting scams to preventative measures that should be taken.

Any recommendations of the sector will have to take into account an aggressive push for increased training, regulations, enforcement, and an all-out effort by all stakeholders to be educated. I will take my favorite ones…regulations and enforcement.

The website of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has several interesting bits of information, including the Building Codes of Guyana, the Housing Act, Town and Country Planning Act, Developer’s Manual, Best Practices in the use of Cement and Concrete and Remigrant Brochure.

The website, http://www.chpa.gov.gy, also has the possibilities of applying online for a house lot, for both local and remigrant lots.

Those building codes are very important for especially contractors and inspectors.

However, like I said before, it would be wise for us to familiarize ourselves with them. How else would you know whether something is being done in the correct manner?

I have a few recommendations, via research, on what prevails in the other countries, that can help increase protection for every stakeholder. Just some more ways we can bring some order.

Now, there is a requirement that all employed persons should be registered with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for what is called a Tax Identification Number (TIN). That number is how Government tracks the taxes paid by a particular individual or business entity. Then there is a requirement for all persons doing private business to register that business. The business is required to be registered annually.

The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) also requires all workers to be registered with them so that contributions can be made. The problem is what all Guyanese know. I dare say that the majority of citizens want to cut corners.

Just this week the tax chief, Khurshid Sattaur, is reported in Kaieteur News as saying that estimates suggest that of the rich, self-employed in Guyana, only a damning 25 per cent of what should be, is actually collected. Indeed damning.

Which is why I always wondered how NIS and GRA never hired more persons to deal with collection. Collection is the lifeblood of any country. You can’t argue that we have hundreds of millions in uncollected rates and taxes in the city because you don’t have a few thousands to pay workers to collect. Pretty daft, I must say.

I make the point about the TIN, NIS and the business registration, as it becomes a norm to take things at face value and be trusting.

By ensuring that contractor is complying is one way we can make them accountable for the job they are doing. Don’t take on the contractor unless conditions are guaranteed. Eventually the message will get around. Zero tolerance.

Of course, it would help a great deal if the country has mechanisms in place to train persons in the fields that need them.

I remember attending Queen’s College, way back in the 90s, when Spanish and French were compulsory classes. I hated French and could tolerate Spanish.

I understand that not much has changed, more than 20 years later. How could this be that with Brazil and Portuguese; Suriname and its Dutch and Venezuela and its Spanish, that we are still reluctant to make the changes? Spanish yes. Portuguese yes. Dutch yes. French…maybe.

By the same arguments, we all know that the country needs skilled personnel, and need them badly. We had problems with math teachers. I have heard of overseas mining companies forced to turn overseas for skilled staffers because none is available here.

The point is we need to adjust our education system so that we don’t face the problems we are facing now. I am being called ever so often to recommend a good contractor. On the many occasions I am asked, I advised the persons to make checks for certain things, including compliance with GRA and NIS.

We have a number of technical schools and even GTI in existence.

An integrated program, coordinated by CH&PA, the banks, engineers’ association, NDCs, Regional Administration offices and other stakeholders, should play a role in developing the program to train persons in carpentry and other skills, and should be introduced in phases in secondary level. It should no longer be a tertiary thing.

The training should be continuous to include the issuance of certificates, with participants expected to fully understand the country’s regulations, including the building codes.

But it will all be pointless if there is no enforcement of the current laws.

Persons are issued with house lots with no movements on building for years. Yet, there seems to be no meaningful harsh stands taken. So in essence, I am saying that we take it upon ourselves to ensure that the contractors are complying. We also push for better regulations, more training to suit the jobs and a change in the education system to meet the demands of the market.

I hate it when people say there are no jobs yet there are complaints of especially in the construction sector that workers are hard to find.

Yes we can go on and on.

This week someone copied me of a beautiful photo of some ways were can beautify our homes. Call me old-fashioned, but simple things can come to life with a little tweaking here and there. Plants grown in colourfully painted used tyres. Sometimes we have to think out of the box, as they say.

Please continue to send me those emails to [email protected] or call weekdays 225-8491.

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