MINISTER of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, on Sunday, announced that his ministry would commence the allocation of some 5,000 house lots along the East Coast of Demerara this week.

The minister spoke at the opening a $300 million hardware complex at Estate Road, Enmore, ECD.

Over the past 18 months, the government has been accelerating its massive housing drive to deliver on its promise of providing 50,000 house lots to Guyanese by 2025.
Minister Croal said the government allocated close to 4,750 house lots on the East Coast alone. Allocations were made at La Bonne Intention, Mon Repos, La Reconnaissance, Annandale, Vigilance, Strathspey, and Bladen Hall.

Additionally, he said the ministry is acquiring lands for new housing developments from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to meet the housing demands in Region Four.

“The infrastructure work that is required to ensure that we are able to develop these new areas will cause billions of dollars,” Minister Croal noted.

The housing minister said the construction sector is expected to grow by 10.2 per cent this year. He credited the continued growth in the construction sector to the government’s national housing drive and other major private sector investments.

Minister Croal pointed out that the demand for construction materials and hardware will continue to increase and, therefore, the opening of a new hardware store in Enmore is timely, as it will help to meet the demand on the east coast.

“We welcome these kinds of investments. We support it and you can count on us as a government and as a ministry…for any help that we can provide to help you grow even more,” he said.

Minister Dharamlall also spoke about some of the infrastructural development being undertaken along the east coast corridor to complement the massive housing development.

He said that by the end of the year, the government will spend an additional $15 billion to upgrade and expand community roads.

“We still have hundreds of roads more to get done and our streets within communities…it is a commitment by President, Irfaan Ali that all community streets will be upgraded to asphaltic concrete or rigid surface concrete,” he told the gathering.

Further, works have commenced on the Ogle, ECD and Eccles, East Bank Demerara Road. The government has also announced plans to upgrade the railway embankment into a four-lane road to help counter growing traffic woes.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall, also attended the event. (DPI)