We have zero tolerance for squatting in Region Two - REO Hopkinson

We have zero tolerance for squatting in Region Two – REO Hopkinson

Jul 12, 2018 News

Over the past six months, the issue of squatting on state owned land in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), has significantly increased.
Based on reports reaching this publication, persons have been occupying plots of lands allegedly owned by the state, primarily in the Paradise Jib.
This illegal practice, however, has not evaded the attention of the Regional Executive Officer, Rupert Hopkinson, who told this publication that he will continue to stand against squatting.
Hopkinson said that he operates in a region that doesn’t take orders from the Regional Administration. Recalling a more recent incident, the REO explained, “There are persons who continue to illegally occupy Government reserves even when we tell them to desist from doing so.
“Repeatedly, we tell persons they cannot build a house, but they can plant and cultivate.” Hopkinson said that as REO of the Region, he cannot allow persons to squat and behave in a disorderly manner.
The Commissioner of Lands and Survey, Trevor Benn, said during one of his recent visits to the Region, that the Commission has zero tolerance for squatting. Benn contended that the slow procession of application for land may have contributed to wide spread squatting throughout the region.
He added, “We noticed that within Region Two, persons have to wait exceptionally long for their land to be processed… If you take 10 years to process an application for land, then people are gonna be desperate for a place to go live.”
Benn said that there are exceptional circumstances in which the Commission can issue a licence to persons to occupy a government reserve. He noted, however that a licence to occupy reserves does not permit an individual to construct any permanent structure on that piece of land.

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