–gov’t also reaches out to private sector to partner in housing drive

NEW wells are earmarked for three locations along the Coastland, while the expansion of water supply projects will see residents of several areas receiving potable water for the first time.

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan announced Monday that government has budgeted $2.9B for the improvment of potable water supply and distribution to the citizenry.
The three wells he spoke of are to be dug at Lusignan on the East Coast Demerara, Fyrish on the Corentyne, and Farm on the East Bank Essequibo (EBE). Monies have been budgeted also for the completion of wells at Vergenoegen, EBE, and Pouderoyen and Westminster on the West Bank Demerara, while residents at Sandvoort, West Canje Berbice are set to benefit from the expansion of the New Amsterdam Water Treatment Plant Project.

The communities of Capoey, Hill Top and Mainstay, on the Essequibo Coast, will enjoy improved levels of service from the expansion of transmission mains.
Minister Jordan said that expansions to the water supply on the East Bank Demerara as well as at the Parika and Ruby backdams on the East Bank Essequibo will result in thousands of residents benefitting from access to potable water for the first time. “These projects,” he said, “will complement our housing and agriculture sector-related efforts in those areas.”

PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP
He also announced that as the demand for housing grows across the country, the government is reaching out to the private sector to partner in its efforts to fulfill its housing drive. “We invite the private sector, either individually or in partnership with the government, to contribute to the alleviation of the growing demand for housing,” he said.
The sum of $780M, he said, has been earmarked in the 2019 Budget for various housing-related projects, among them the procurement and installation of 100 LED street lamps, the upgrading of roads, and the installation of utilities. He also noted that the government has commenced discussions with its development partners to secure more financing to undertake new housing developments across the country.

He said that in 2019, a key area of focus for the government will be the hinterland areas, whereby the sum of $170M has been budgeted for disbursal as housing and roof replacement subsidies in such areas.
An additional $750M has been allocated for the commencement of the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility (AHUA) programme, which will see the construction of “core houses” for single family households and families living in uninhabitable homes, home improvement and the consolidation of existing housing schemes.

Last month, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) reported that some 2,500 citizens in low-income communities will benefit from improved housing conditions, whereby 250 families will receive free “core homes”, while others will benefit from improved housing infrastructure.

The AHUA programme is being made possible by the government through a US$30M loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The programme commenced in 2018, and will run for five years, targeting such West Bank Demerara communities as Recht Door Zee, La Parfaite Harmonie, Westminster and Lust-en-Rust, and Onderneeming on the Eassequibo Coast.
It will also be implemented in southern Georgetown up to Diamond-Grove and on the East Coast Demerara up to La Bonne Intention (LBI).