Dear Editor
THE Republic of Guyana has an area of 83,000 square miles and a population of less than 750,000 citizens and if the land mass were to be shared among them, then mathematically, a little more than nine citizens would have been entitled to one square mile. It is a known fact that the country is subdivided into three parts namely:
(1) The Coastal Belt, which is relatively flat and below sea level and consists of residential areas, swamp lands, reef lands, rice lands cane lands, pastures etc and is susceptible to flooding whenever there is heavy rainfall. The main reason of flooding is mainly due to the failure of using the flushing system to clear silted channels. If tidal waves damage the seawalls during high tides, then those areas will be under three to four feet deep water and citizens will have to flee to higher ground. Recently, high tides coupled with very high waves damaged seawalls on the West Demerara and Essequibo Coast and caused extensive damage to residences in those areas.
(2) The Sand and Clay Belt, which is relatively high lands and is not susceptible to flooding, since water from high lands finds its way into creeks and rivers and finally to the ocean.
(3) The Mountain Belt, which comprises hills of over 1000 feet high and where minerals can be found.
Now there are some simple things that have to be taken into consideration when lands in Guyana are to be valued:
(a) Locality
(b) Supply and demand
(c) Infrastructure – ingress and egress, roads and bridges, schools, water supply, medical facilities, security services etc, to the area.
(d) Neighbourhood
(e) Inflation rates in relation to the US dollar
(f) The dangers of living in low-lying areas, etc.
On several occasions I have been reading of properties valued by persons who are deemed to be valuation experts. Now if a person is earning $100,000 per month and has a spouse and two children to maintain, then in his life time he will never be able to purchase a plot of land valued at $100,000,000. To purchase a plot of land which has no gold, diamond field or copper mine below its surface, then that person has to be earning a super annual income, for no ordinary person can afford that exorbitant price for in most cases a non-income-bearing property.
Now can any person in Guyana or elsewhere who is a qualified competent valuator, or has experience in valuation of properties, answer the following three questions below?
Properties on the Coastal Belt
What is the market value of a normal size 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th house lots, each measuring 36 ft x 144 ft in rural and town areas? What is the market value of one acre of farmland for green vegetable farming? What is the market value of one acre of rice land? What is the market value of one acre of cane land? What is the market value of one acre of swamp land for rearing fish? What is the value for one acre of pasture land?
Properties on the sand and clay belt
What is the market value of a normal-sized 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th 10th house lots, each measuring 36 ft x 144 ft? What is the market value of one acre of farm land for green vegetable farming? What is market value of one acre of swamp land for rearing fish? What is the value of one acre of pasture land?
Properties on the mountain belt
What is the market value of a normal-sized 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th 9th 10th house lots, each measuring 36ft x 144 ft? What is the market value of one acre of farmland for green vegetable farming? What is the value of one acre of a mountain in Guyana? A response to the questions posed will be appreciated.

Regards
A. Persaud