In Region Two…
THE Ministry of Housing and Water conducted its first ‘One Stop Shop’ outreach for 2010, in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), last Friday.
The one-day exercise, described as successful by the organizers in the continuing effort to deliver an integrated service, was hosted in Anna Regina Town Hall on Essequibo Coast.
Minister with the portfolio, Mr. Irfaan Ali; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Emile Mc Garrell; Chief Executive Officer of Central Housing and Planning Authority,  Ms. Myrna Pitt and other CH&PA staff, were on hand to interact with residents on several issues.
The activities included interviews, allocation of house lots, processing and distribution of titles, as well as customer services provided by lending institutions.
Minister Ali said Region Two has the distinction of being the first where the programme was inaugurated.
“This is part of our overarching commitment to delivering an integrated service to our customers, to the citizens of this country,” he said.
According to him: “The ‘One Stop Shop’ concept goes beyond what happens here today and it is now an institutional activity in the delivery of service by the Ministry.”
He explained that the scheme was being undertaken in partnership with the Private Sector, noting that Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), Republic Bank and New Building Society (NBS) were included in the integrated team.
Ali reminded that, last year, the Government, in a bid to stimulate the housing sector and ensure that persons have access to the financing required for construction, moved to increase the loan ceiling for low income customers with special provisions.
“And also, at the same time, created the environment for the reduction of the interest rate, the special interest rate in the mortgage agreement between the commercial banks and the Government,” he informed.
Ali said the banks are working aggressively in promoting the service and, in that context, urged the residents to make sure they use the incentive to get easier and more affordable access to funding for home building.

Commercial Banks

He announced, too, that, within a few weeks, as part of the integrated service at the Ministry, the physical presence of at least three commercial banks.
“Now, across the globe, there is no other testimony to partnership than this,” Ali declared.
He continued: “We are very committed to expanding the ‘One Stop Shop’ concept to become an institutional arrangement for the Ministry.”
Ali alluded to the previously introduced Low Income Settlement Two programme and said, this year, the focus is on the component that deals with the establishment of core or starter homes.
Referring to Region Two, he revealed that, over the last ten years, the Ministry has received almost 2,300 applications and, so far this year, there is a decrease in the rate of applications.
Ali said, between 2000 and 2008, at least 2,000 house lots were distributed for the benefit of some 20,000 people.
He said the ‘One Stop Shop’ would have seen letters going out to some 500 persons and, of course, persons’ first choice would be where the existing growth pole is found.
“But, if we have a development in Onderneeming (Essequibo Coast) that would create a 1,000 house lots, it shows that an emerging growth pole would develop here that would give new opportunities for businesses and the development of a community,” Ali posited.
“So we have to be visionary in our approach to our own lives,” he told the gathering, pointing to Parfaite Harmonie in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) as another example where persons were reluctant.
Ali, however, assured that, when all the infrastructure development, including the alternative access, has been completed, that area will be closer to Georgetown than the Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.
He said, this year, $75M was invested at Onderneeming, for the initial expenditure on roads, drainage and culverts, in the area where most of the lots will be allocated.
Ali said another $100M will be spent in the old Suddie Housing Scheme and the new scheme, in addition to Onderneeming Phase Two, to deliver improvements.
He disclosed that a new well will be sunk in Onderneeming, to add to the incremental development that is going to improve the infrastructure and put greater value to the land.

Fully Integrated

“What is being created at Onderneeming is a new growth centre, a new growth pole and, with the incremental developments and incremental infrastructure that we are going to put in place, Onderneeming is going to have easier access and be fully integrated in the wider Region Two,” Ali anticipated.
“So I want you to think smartly and to ensure that you make full use of this opportunity today in accepting your house lot and in moving forward towards home construction,” he encouraged.
Ali emphasised: “We don’t know how long the incentives in the banking sector would remain, so you have to make use of the environment right now.”
He said, whilst persons pay $100,000, the value of the land is almost $600,000 but Government subsidises the cost.
Ali appealed to the beneficiaries to not only move towards land ownership but home ownership, because the faster they build their homes, the faster will come upgraded infrastructure.
He said, between 2000 and 2008 in the housing sector, his ministry invested more than $550M in Region Two and, in 2009, through the ‘One Stop Shop’, allocated approximately 319 house lots of which 250 were in Onderneeming.
About the water sector, Ali said there have been tremendous investments and between 2000 and 2008, $400M expenditure was for the benefit of some 30,000 people in that Region.
He said, in 2009 alone, the Ministry invested $500M on water, for 75,000 people and, this year, the planned investment range is $260M.
“So you can see that, in the last ten years, we have invested more than $1.2 billion on the improvement of the water sector in Region Two.
“Indeed, the development is incremental. Indeed, it took us ten years, but, at the end of the day, the development is made for the improvement of our lives,” Ali said.
He reiterated: “We, in the Ministry of Housing, stand committed, committed to the task of delivering, to you, the service you deserve and we are not here to do you a favour. We are here because we are committed and mandated to deliver this service to you. But we want to ask you to help us, to join with us and cooperate with us a
s, together, we build a stronger community.”
Ali said: “And this is more important, if you look at the cross-section of persons here today, we see the truly Guyanese mix and this allows us a renewed opportunity, this allows us an enhanced opportunity to build greater communities, communities that are socially, culturally and morally integrated.”
Region Two Chairman, Mr. Alli Baksh, told the gathering they will be receiving a gift of a lifetime and it would not be a gift only for them and their families but certainly a gift for the entire generation to come.
He exhorted them to make use of the opportunity.
Baksh said ten new housing schemes have already been established in the Region and there is no problem in terms of house lots for residents.
Pitt said the exercise is part of the continuing drive to improve the quality of CH&PA performance as it relates to the services the agency provides.
“We believe in the user based definition of quality and embrace the quality principle of being customer focused as we seek, in this tangible way, to give service to you,” she offered.
The ministerial team also visited the Amerindian communities of Capoey Lake, Mainstay/Whyaka and St. Deny’s.