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“THE importance of home ownership to an individual or family is an asset and a sense of security for these individuals.” That was an excerpt from President Donald Ramotar’s address at the recent launching of the 1,000 homes turnkey initiative at Perseverance on the East Bank of Demerara. These homes, two and three-bedroom structures which would be sold at an average of $4M is indeed music to the ears of poor and middle-income families. This is certainly good news for a sizeable portion of our hard-working population. Nothing is more enlightening than to know that you are now the proud owner of your own home.
Owning a roof over one’s head is a remarkable achievement, something other Caribbean nations would gladly emulate. Only recently myself and a compatriot were in a discussion comparing Guyana’s success in this area unlike that of a sister CARICOM country which has a real problem where housing is concerned.
Many Caribbean nations with more robust economies are still trying to come to grips with the daunting challenge of housing its people, whereas Guyana is quite on top of the situation and ahead of the game.
You would find the common middle-income family in the wider Caribbean easily owning a vehicle but real and substantial assets such as land and home ownership are something of a distant dream. So, I can safely say Guyana is pretty much ahead of CARICOM when it comes to home ownership.
However, I have one burning question for President Ramotar and it has to do with these large corporate projects where the actual construction is concerned. Construction on these large projects is mainly concentrated in the hands of big business. When I say big business I am speaking of large construction firms; the likes of BK International, Mazarally or Nabi. They are entrusted to execute the completion of these projects with the small builder construction engineers left out in the cold.
Those small contractors and builders are brutally sidelined and as such are out of work and out of “the Guyana dream.” Guyana is for all of us, rich and poor alike, so when there is a construction boom as there is at the present moment the poor, small-man should be given his fair share also.
I am well aware of the argument put forward that there are deadlines to be met, while at the same time who should be accountable for what. This can lead to confusion and chaos when mini-contractors are involved. All searching questions, but this can easily be solved by the employing ministry sub-leasing to the smaller contractors while, at the same time, making room for them to group themselves under a larger umbrella body. In this way we are assured of the poorer class earning his fair share in our booming economy. The small man would be employed, he can now go home with a pay packet to take care of his family; he is part of the Guyana dream.
I do hope the foregoing factor can be taken into consideration, because it will reduce the unemployment rate while at the same time ensure a happier nation.
Owning a roof over one’s head is a remarkable achievement, something other Caribbean nations would gladly emulate. Only recently myself and a compatriot were in a discussion comparing Guyana’s success in this area unlike that of a sister CARICOM country which has a real problem where housing is concerned.
Many Caribbean nations with more robust economies are still trying to come to grips with the daunting challenge of housing its people, whereas Guyana is quite on top of the situation and ahead of the game.
You would find the common middle-income family in the wider Caribbean easily owning a vehicle but real and substantial assets such as land and home ownership are something of a distant dream. So, I can safely say Guyana is pretty much ahead of CARICOM when it comes to home ownership.
However, I have one burning question for President Ramotar and it has to do with these large corporate projects where the actual construction is concerned. Construction on these large projects is mainly concentrated in the hands of big business. When I say big business I am speaking of large construction firms; the likes of BK International, Mazarally or Nabi. They are entrusted to execute the completion of these projects with the small builder construction engineers left out in the cold.
Those small contractors and builders are brutally sidelined and as such are out of work and out of “the Guyana dream.” Guyana is for all of us, rich and poor alike, so when there is a construction boom as there is at the present moment the poor, small-man should be given his fair share also.
I am well aware of the argument put forward that there are deadlines to be met, while at the same time who should be accountable for what. This can lead to confusion and chaos when mini-contractors are involved. All searching questions, but this can easily be solved by the employing ministry sub-leasing to the smaller contractors while, at the same time, making room for them to group themselves under a larger umbrella body. In this way we are assured of the poorer class earning his fair share in our booming economy. The small man would be employed, he can now go home with a pay packet to take care of his family; he is part of the Guyana dream.
I do hope the foregoing factor can be taken into consideration, because it will reduce the unemployment rate while at the same time ensure a happier nation.
