THE Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), through the Ministry of Housing & Water, officially transferred management of the following housing schemes to the Bath/Woodley Park Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) at West Coast Berbice, Region Five, last Wednesday: Hope, Hope Phases One and Two, Experiment Phases One and Two, Waterloo Phases One and Two, Block ‘D’ Bath, and Waterloo.
These schemes contain 1,976 house lots, 75 percent of which has already been occupied.
Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Ganga Persaud, related that the handing over of these schemes to the NDC requires that the NDC assumes additional responsibilities.
These communities are now ratable, and the NDC will launch an evaluation programme, using existing ratable mechanisms, to assign a rate to properties in the short term.
The Government of Guyana, with support of the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce and in affiliation with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will soon embark on a programme that will see approximately 120 persons being trained to assist the Local Government Ministry to accomplish objective reviews of properties, which will in turn update residents of the true ratable worth of their properties.
Minister Persaud also called on both the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to play a more robust role in overseeing development of the neighbourhoods.
He related that the NDC will need to ensure that the lawful surroundings are preserved, and that whatever is being assembled or constructed would remain within the laws administering construction of the buildings.
Minister Ali assured that this modification will see a stronger partnership between the CH&PA and the NDC. He noted that the Ministry of Housing is not going to be lax in its responsibility, but stands prepared to provide necessary assistance for further development of the communities.
Anticipating that management of these areas will pose some challenges, due mainly to the multi-use of land, the minister said, “A lot of persons are integrally involved in the agriculture sector, and, as such, it poses a lot of challenges to planners in ensuring that the rightful utilisation of land is adhered to.
“We have to balance how we continue to deliver to you a service that is efficient and reliable, whilst at the same time fulfilling all your expectations.”
The minister also clarified that were the levels of service the Ministry of Local Government and the NDC deliver to the people to be contingent on the rates and taxes being paid — not only in this area, but also in many other NDCs as well — the services would be of poor quality, because the rates and taxes being charged cannot meet the actual expenditure that is required to enlarge and sustain these communities.
Although focus is being placed on the advancement of new communities, there are several existing communities that require better infrastructure, and thus the Community Roads Improvement Project (CRIP) was implemented.
He mentioned that in the Bath/Woodley Park NDC alone, over $187M has been earmarked for expenditure under the CRIP, therefore, 14 of the 15 streets in this NDC were completed by the end of May. The last street is anticipated to be completed by the end of next week.
Ali noted that when new roads are being completed in any area, it attracts expansion in the development sector of that community.
He lauded development of the streets in the Bath/Woodley Park NDC as a good sign, and stated that the people of Guyana are looking at ways and means to improve their lives.
Minister Ali noted that these community investments are seen as dramatic changes just as the ventures such as the Amaila Falls Hydropower and the Marriot Hotel project are seen at the national level.
He said that uninhabited lots in the schemes would be repossessed, as the CH&PA worked very hard in making the lands fit for human habitation, such as sending up teams to remove squatters and unwanted vegetation.
He said that the past five years in Region Five have seen the Housing Ministry investing over $730 billion dollars in the housing sector, together with a household advancement and investment of over $251,000 per household, bringing benefits to over 11,830 people.
The minister said that the setting in Guyana, particularly relative to housing, has been altered considerably over the years. As such, in today’s society, many have forgotten what had obtained a few short years ago.
He said also that neighbourhoods in Region Five have not been left out of this transformation, as is evident with the development of well-structured societies, inclusive of the necessary communication and other essential services.