A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have raised questions in the National Assembly about various Government Ministries, and those questions are to be answered on July 23, 2014.

AFC Member of Parliament (MP) Mrs. Katherine Hughes has queried the removal of the Independence Arch from Ruimveldt Public Road to facilitate expansion of the East Bank Demerara Road. She asked Public Works Minister Robeson Benn to answer when and where the arch would be erected.

She also requested Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee to make available to the House the number of work permits issued to foreign nationals; the nationality of each recipient, and the duration of the permit; the job being done by the permit holder, and the name of the employer of each permit holder.

APNU Member of Parliament Annette Ferguson invited Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali to give a breakdown of land allocated to private home developers. The Minister was also requested to provide an explanation on the factors that were taken into consideration to formulate the price for land allocation.

HOUSE LOTS
Ms. Ferguson further tasked Minister Ali with providing the cost and allocation of house lots; and he is, moreover, required to present to the House the current costs for the house lots in the different categories (low, middle and high income), and the rationale that informed those costs.

Minister Ali is also requested to provide a detailed list of the cost for house lots received during the period 2010 to 2014, and to give an account for the delays in the processing of payments made by individuals.

He was also called on to divulge the mechanisms that are in place to process applications for persons who are physically challenged.

In the presentation of the 2014 Budget, the Minister of Finance reported that 90 flats were constructed in 2013, hence APNU MP Ferguson called on Minister Irfaan Ali to state the location of the houses, and how many are occupied to date.

Ferguson also asked the Minister to disclose whether or not competitive bidding was use to facilitate the construction process of the houses made by the Ministry of Housing. This question relates to whether competitive bidding from competing contractors, suppliers or vendors was invited by openly advertising the scope, specifications, terms and conditions of the proposed contract, as well as the criteria by which the bids would be evaluated.

The Minister was also requested to disclose where and when public advertisement was done.

EXPANSION
The Public-Private Turnkey Initiative will see 100 homes being constructed; while some 50 police officers, nurses, and teachers will be allocated land. In this regard, Ms. Ferguson asked the Minister to state where the additional houses would be constructed; whether or not there has been a competitive bidding process; and when and where public advertisement was done. Ms. Ferguson also called for the breakdown of the number of persons being allocated land in each of the aforementioned category. She invited Minister Ali to also state whether or not there are mechanisms in place by which to apply for house lots.

Ms. Ferguson also asked Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh to identify how many mortgage holders have benefited from the ‘Mortgage Interest Relief (MIR) Regulation 2013’, which establishes the regulatory framework for mortgage interest relief (MIR) to be granted. She wanted to know the portion of taxable income to be exempted from personal income tax of the first time home owner who is paying interest on a housing loan of up to $30 million to a commercial bank or building society.

Ms. Ferguson disclosed that the APNU is aggrieved with the height at which buildings are being constructed in the city of Georgetown.

Local Government and Regional Development, Minister Norman Whittaker was requested to provide an explanation on the security concerns that are being taken into consideration when approval is given for the construction of buildings above three tiers in the vicinity of security institutions.
Minister Whittaker is also required to say whether consideration is given simultaneously for the provision of parking facilities when buildings has been approved.

(By Sandy Agasen)