WITH a long term plan to allocate close to 20,000 house lots by 2012, the Ministry of Housing and the Central Planning and Housing Authority continue to partner with various Private Sector entities to realise this vision.
Through the revitalisation of the Housing Sector in Guyana, the Government has been the enabling agent for change and development; and with the introduction of the ‘One Stop Shop’ exercise, the Ministry of Housing’s ability to deliver a more efficient, comprehensive and transparent service to citizens has been enhanced.
During the ninth such exercise conducted by the Housing Ministry on Tuesday at the Uitvlugt Community Centre, which facilitated the allocation of close to 300 lots, Permanent Secretary Emil Mc Garrell applauded the private institutions for their consistent and unwavering support throughout the year.
“We see you as partners in development; and through the range of services that you provide to the people; you are joining us in serving the people and assisting them towards owning their own homes,” he explained.
Continuing, he emphasised that representatives from most of the companies have been attending the events since the inception, including several financial fraternities, and hardware and construction companies.
Alluding to the importance of this, Mc Garrell indicated that their presence illustrates their intention to provide services that will make the process of home ownership easier, complementing the Ministry’s efforts in the housing drive.
Sales and Marketing Manager of Dura Villa Homes, Imtiaz Zafarali, one of the construction companies represented at the last ‘One Stop Shop’, pointed out that his involvement in the event has led to the growth of the company’s client list and ultimately the growth of the business.
He revealed, “We have attended five events for this year, and we are able to assist persons in constructing their homes, whether low, middle or high income.”
“Through this we have attracted over 400 customers and 200 have made applications, showing an interest in what the company has to offer.”
In addition, he stressed that his company will continue to work with the Ministry of Housing to provide low cost housing.
In highlighting the advantages of their partnership with the Ministry of Housing, Branch Manager for Courts (Parika branch), Dorwin Ellis, stated that his company has been continuously lending support to the events by offering items at a reasonable cost to impending home owners.
He indicated that through interaction at the events, persons are attracted to do business with the company by the offers provided and as such, they are happy to work in partnership with the Government of Guyana to assist in any way that they can.
Alluding to the impact of such collaboration, Ellis said, “The partnership is excellent and it will go a long way towards the development of the country.”
Ellis encouraged other organisations to join forces with the Ministry to assist in the housing drive and to help thousands of Guyanese realise their dreams of owning their own homes.
“I think if more businesses get on board and assist the Government in giving persons, whether young or old, the opportunity to own their own homes, it will be great,” he posited.
The concept of the ‘One Stop Shop’ was realised to provide a wide range of services to residents to expedite the process of home ownership.