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Housing Ministry commences distribution of vouchers for steel and cement subsidy programme
Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Housing and Water on Tuesday commenced its Steel and Cement Housing Subsidy Programme, by awarding vouchers to some 30 beneficiaries.
The simple ceremony was held at the Ministry’s Brickdam, Georgetown office and saw in attendance Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Andre Ally and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Mr. Sherywn Greaves.
This initiative is the brainchild of President Irfaan Ali, and aimed at providing support for Guyanese seeking to construct their homes, whether on government-allocated or private lands. Homes estimated at $6 million and below can benefit one sling cement and steel. Meanwhile, builders with estimates above $6 million to $25 million will benefit from two slings of cement.
Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, Minister Croal in his brief remarks said that this initiative is another demonstration of the government’s commitment to providing housing interventions across the board to different categories of citizens with the ultimate aim of reducing their burden and enhance home ownership amid the rising global prices and other challenges.
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal and Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues (center) alongside Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Andre Ally and Chief Executive Officer of the CH&PA, Mr. Sherywn Greaves and some of the first set of beneficiaries of the Steel and Cement Subsidy Programme on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Housing and Water)
The Minister explained that in applying, persons would have to satisfy basically two things. One is ownership “so you must prove your ownership and secondly it is to make sure that you have the approval of your plan whether it is from the municipality or the NDC (Neighbourhood Democratic Council) because the approval of the plan helps us to determine the level of the construction, the type of construction that is being undertaken and to quantify your value of construction,” he explained.
According to the Minister, when that is finish there is a verification process, where a team from the Ministry goes out diligently taking their pictures so as to file a report. He added that when this report is compiled it is submitted to a board that is called the Housing Subsidy Committee and that committee approves the applicant.
The Minister noted that already “Verification has been done for over 500 persons that these are going through the approval process.”
To date, the agency has received 1034 applications from Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Nine and Ten. Of this, 697 verification/field visits were conducted, 397 were recommended and 134 were approved for distribution, while the other applications are being processed.
The Steel and Cement subsidy vouchers.
Minister Croal related yesterday that within the next two weeks, the Ministry aims to distribute at least 500 vouchers to persons who would have satisfied the programme criteria.
During her remarks, Minister Rodrigues said that this initiative is not a “hand-out programme”. She noted that this is a “programme design to ensure that people acquire home ownership.”
Speaking to the media, one of the beneficiaries, Quacy Smart, a father of two said that “I feel ecstatic reason being is that it was a good initiative on the part of His Excellency President Irfaan Ali. As the Minister of Housing alluded that homeownership is the key aspect of each individual in Guyana. So I was overjoyed when I heard that I meet the requirement.”
Smart said that having received the subsidy, the next step is to build.
Another beneficiary, Hyacinth Benjamin said she is excited. She received a voucher for two slings of cement and noted that this would help in big way. Benjamin encouraged persons to apply for the government subsidy.
Beneficiaries can select from a list of suppliers in their area. All suppliers are required to sell the construction materials at the same price, the Ministry noted.
The $700 million Steel and Cement initiative was one that was first announced by the President during the Building Expo last year.
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