–as housing ministry moves to provide serviced lots in those areas

THE Ministry of Housing and Water will be executing infrastructural works valued $3 billion for the provision of serviced house lots in Anna Catherina, Cornelia Ida and Edinburgh, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, made this announcement during one of several outreaches along the West Coast and West Bank of Demerara corridors on Wednesday.
At a community engagement in Anna Catherina, he said the contracts for those projects have been awarded and works will commence in early May.
“I am just waiting on GuySuCo to release those lands because they are in harvesting season… And so, once that is complete, the contracts were already awarded so contractors are just waiting on us,” Minister Croal said.

He told the residents that the government is committed to providing adequate housing and water to all citizens.
“We have a number of areas here in Region Three that will be developed for housing allocation and that’s on this year programme…Likewise, it will also create opportunities for persons to gain employment and with that, once you have employment, you have resources being generated,” he related.
For 2021 alone, the ministry signed close to $18 billion in contracts for infrastructural works and the construction of houses in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six.
“So, you can understand the magnitude of the investment in the housing sector, never before have we had so much money being spent by any government,” Croal said.
The government has distributed close to 4,000 house lots since it took office.  This amount takes the government closer to realising its goal of distributing 10,000 lots during its first year in office and an overall 50,000 lots in five years.

It was reported recently that enhanced roads, pavements, street lights and drainage networks are in line for La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank of Demerara (WBD), as the Inter-American Development (IDB) has given its no-objection for the Government of Guyana to proceed with projects valuing $890 million.
According to Minister Croal, aside from the common infrastructural works, a multipurpose facility will also be constructed at La Parfaite Harmonie. All projects related to the community will be completed under the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme.
La Parfaite Harmonie aside, progress is also expected in other communities, as the minister announced that the IDB has approved extension of the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme to Victoria, East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

Prior to this extension only low-income families who fell within the boundary – La Bonne Intention (LBI), Grove, Lust-en-Rust, Onderneeming, Recht-door-zee and La Parfaite Harmonie Phase Two, were able to benefit.
Works under the IDB project could commence as early as July, and the Ministry of Housing and Water, through the executing agency, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), will spare no time in tendering for these projects, Minister Croal said.
Additionally, in other communities where the IDB’s project will not cover, he assured residents that works will be undertaken through collaborative efforts with the local authorities and the Ministries of Local Government and Regional Development, and Public Works. (DPI)