…close to $6.7B invested in housing for the year
Over the past year, the Government and the Ministry of Housing and Water have invested close to $6.7B in the housing sector, and within the last six years $3.8B has been invested in housing development on East Coast of Demerara alone, positively impacting the lives of more than 100,000 persons living there. Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, made this announcement on Saturday, during his Ministry’s 13th One Stop Shop exercise for the year at the Strathspey Primary School on the East Coast of Demerara, where an additional 500 house lots were distributed to residents for Section ‘D’, Non Pariel.
In his address to the allotees, Minister Ali encouraged them to view the occasion as a transformational one, made possible only through years of hard work and sacrifice.
“This is a proud event for the Ministry of Housing,” he declared, adding, “and you should be happy as this is an opportunity for us to improve our family values and to create an empowering environment for our children.”
Alluding to the importance of this, Ali pointed out that the overall aim is to create sustainable, well developed communities which will ultimately benefit all.
“The emerging communities will help in fostering cultural relations to build sustainable communities that will portray the strong Guyanese spirit,” he said.
Continuing , he  indicated that President Bharrat Jagdeo’s ambitious target of allocating 17,000 houselots by September 2011 is becoming a reality, as  to date 10,160 houselots have been allocated , a figure which clearly shows  the level of commitment to the development of people and the housing programme in Guyana.
He explained that next year the Ministry is tasked with distributing 7,000 houselots but is aiming to increase that amount by 800 to meet the housing needs of more Guyanese.
Ali said, “This target was set in February 2009, long before the proposed elections in 2011; this is primarily Government target and I want to assure you that we are not stopping as we remain focused on the target ahead.”
In addition , he indicated that the Ministry’s One-Stop-Shop exercises for the year were successful  with the unmatched dedication and hard work of the staff of the Ministry of Housing and the Central Housing and Planning Authority, and the full support from the private sector, including banking and insurance , manufacturing and home developers .
“This is a great partnership that Guyana is emerging with today, the partnership I like to call the Public Private People Partnership which is very important for us,” Ali explained.
He said that while the allocation exercises are being conducted, the main focus remains on development which the partnership ultimately fosters, along with enhancing the lives of thousands of Guyanese.
“I encourage you to stay positive and forge relationships with the private sector companies, the banks, construction companies and manufacturing firms,” he told the allotees.
The Ministry of Housing and the Central Housing and Planning Authority for 2010 hosted allocation exercises in Onderneeming Phase 11, West Bank Demerara and Section EE Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara; Parfait Harmonie for Schoonord, West Bank Demerara; Uitvlugt for Tuschen Phase 11; Hope Secondary School Region Four; Albion, Region Six; and Bay Rock, Linden, Region Ten, for house lot applicants of Block 22 and Blueberry Hill.
Ali noted that next year Government will be expanding the One Stop Shop concept to Regions Seven and Eight and continuing the exercise in Regions Two , Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten to bring additional benefits to persons residing there.

Completed and Projected Works Minister Irfaan Ali highlighted that for this year, the Ministry of Housing and Water completed more than 100 miles of roads,
200 miles of drains and more than 45 miles of water distibution systems across the country.
“That is the extent of work completed by the Ministry this year and I am happy that we have expended all of the resources budjeted to the Ministry for 2010,” he said, adding, “We are lobbying for more so that we can deliver services to you.”
He also pointed out that next year the Ministry will embark on several other initiatives to expand on the Public/Private partnership, especially in the development of the East Bank of Demerara.
Expansion work is expected to commence in Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara by next April, which would make available a further 1,500 house lots.
Ali said, “Next year our partnerships will expand in various forms to ensure that more people will be included in the drive to accomplish housing development.”
In this regard, he divulged that the Urban Revitalisation Programme has started so that next April they will be able to produce the Parliament Square for the benefit of all Guyanese.
“I want to assure you that we stand committed to you and will work with you to ensure that your dreams are realised and your lives are improved, as this is what we were elected for and what we will work to achieve.”