A TEAM from the Islamic Development Bank is expected to visit Guyana this month to discuss with Government, funding for a proposed Ministry of Communities project to construct 3,360 apartment units in three separate communities in 2017.This announcement was made by Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan at the Ministry of Community’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Pegasus Hotel on Friday.
Minister Bulkan said his ministry has submitted the proposal for the construction of 3360 apartment units at La Penitence, Georgetown, Little and Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara and Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown, for possible funding from the Islamic Development Bank.

“A team from the bank will be in Guyana later this month to further the discussions, following which we will have a clearer idea as to how soon the funding can be available to make this a reality,” Minister Bulkan said.

He said the ministry’s goal is to see a total of 10,000 housing units built by 2021, to excellent standards with properly outlined communities.

Additionally, he said, some 800 turn-key houses (duplexes and townhouses) are expected to be constructed this year in 10 locations in six of Guyana’s administrative regions (Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10).
In 2016 , some 2015 house lots were allocated, and 221 regularised squatters received allocation letters. While no new turn-key houses were constructed by the ministry, some 90 existing ones were completed at Perseverance and remedial works were completed on 70 houses.
CERTIFICATES OF TITLES/TRANSPORTS
At the end of November 2016, a total of 4,803 Certificates of Titles/Transports had been transferred.
The ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) collaborated with UN-HABITAT through a UNDP-funded project to produce a Housing Profile Study for Guyana to develop a National Housing Strategy.
Meanwhile, Minister Bulkan said the construction of a $31M leachate treatment facility at Haags Bosch will be completed this year and new landfill sites will be designed in five of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions, as his ministry moves to properly manage solid waste and create a clean and green environment.
Minister Bulkan said his ministry’s Sanitation Management Unit has executed several projects under its 2016 Solid Waste Management (SWM) programme and held 25 consultation forums for the composition of the National Solid Waste Management Strategy in all 10 regions.
He said a public awareness programme for SWM, titled ‘Green Generation Guyana’ was also launched to re-socialise children to adopt safer environmental habits, and an inventory and survey of future landfill sites, rehabilitation of the Haags Bosch access road and soil-testing at proposed and existing landfills were also done.
LOCAL GOVERNANCE
The Ministry of Communities has also successfully rebuilt systems of local and regional administrative governance, by empowering local democratic organs to advance efficiency and effectiveness with a more decentralised Government service.
Training and other empowerment processes were done for the development of cohesive, empowered and sustainable communities through collaboration for integrated planning, good governance and satisfactory service-delivery.

Several significant objectives were accomplished last year, Minister Bulkan said.

He said the Ministry of Communities provided training in leadership and conflict resolution to councillors and staff, and an action round-table was held in May 2016 for regional executive officers to stimulate and improve the administrative functioning of regions.
His ministry also collaborated with partners locally and internationally, including CARILED and Counterpart International in strengthening the capacity of its Local Democratic Organs (LDOs).
Bulkan said in 2016, the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) throughout Guyana successfully implemented 98 per cent of their capital budgets, with RDC Four expending $438,714M or 91 per cent of a budget of $479,654M, delivering the lowest percentage of implementation, while RDC Nine spent $387,870M or 105 per cent of a budget of $369,406M, producing the highest level of implementation.
The holding of Local Government Elections (LGE) after a 22-year gap was deemed a significant milestone and a crucial step in restoring and rebuilding a collapsed local governance system.

Three new towns including Lethem, Mabaruma and Bartica were established and a total allocation of $146M in subventions was given to the nine towns to execute mainly infrastructural works, including the rehabilitation of streets, excavation of drains and the purchase of equipment and vehicles.
Last month, Minister Bulkan said the three new towns were given a $3M grant funding to help meet operational costs.
The 62 NDCs were also given $248M in subventions with Regions One, Two, Three, Five and Six completing all targeted projections, while Regions 10 and Four recorded 98 and 99 per cent completion rates, respectively.

An annual National Day of Villages was launched in November at Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara and will be hosted this year in the first Indian Village established in Guyana, Minister Bulkan reported.