Latest update March 21st, 2025 5:44 AM
New Ministry moves to speed up house lot applications
– Ceres named to head special engineers’ unit
With thousands of house lot applications on file, the new administration said that it has started an assessment of the available lands to speed up the process.
Minister Keith Scott
According to Minister Keith Scott, who is charged with responsibility for housing, the new Government has also embarked on a project to establish a unit of engineers from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), and the former Ministry of the Local Government and Regional Development. The latter Ministry has been renamed the Ministry of Communities, and includes the housing sector portfolio.
“As you know, we are aggressively working to create communities that are fully functional. It will mean that we have to use our combined assets, our available capacity. We are aware also, that many applicants are justifiably concerned about the pace in which their applications for house lots are being processed. This is a priority, of course, to us.”
According to the Minister, he has already requested a list of the ongoing projects and housing schemes, as well as the contractors and other details, like costs.
The previous administration had said that lands in high demand areas like the East Bank Demerara were fast running out.
A project was under development along the Soesdyke/Linden highway area to open up new lands for housing as well as commercial zones.
Plans were on stream, also, to buy sugar cane lands in the areas behind Ogle and Eccles for more house lots.
Engineer, Charles Ceres
All these will be examined to ensure the applications are processed quickly; the necessary infrastructure works are in place and construction can begin.
“I am being told that many persons have paid for their house lots in some cases for years now but are unable to receive one. I have asked for the “One Stop Shop” exercises to be suspended as it makes no sense unless we do a full assessment. You can’t ask people to borrow monies and pay and you are not giving them the house lots.”
There are reportedly almost 10,000 house lot applications on file at CH&PA. Scott explained that the proposed unit of technical experts will be called the Engineering and Infrastructure Development Support Group.
The unit will be headed by engineer Charles Ceres who will also serve as Special Advisor to Scott. Interviews will be conducted with the engineers to determine their expertise with training to develop their skills.
“The focus would be on the implementation of technically sound solutions to engineering and infrastructure development, and on the development of minimal acceptable standards for engineering analyses and design.”
President David Granger had signaled his intentions to create safe communities that not only offer playgrounds, but would create opportunities for jobs and offer services only available in the city or in towns.
He has merged the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development with the Ministry of Housing, creating the Ministry of Communities.
According to Granger, the idea was to ensure that there is a faster rollout of services not only in the coastlands but also in critical far-flung hinterland areas.
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