-over 400 house lots distributed during Region Six housing drive

By Jeune Bailey Van Keric
GUYANESE cricketer, Shemaine Altia Campbell, who is part of the West Indies Women team, got the best birthday gift when she received the title to her Lot 171 Bloomfield Village, Corentyne, Berbice property, on Friday.

Campbell had applied for land more than 14 years ago and in 2015, she was allocated a plot at Bloomfield Village. Years later, on her 30th birthday, she collected her title.

Despite the long wait, she was elated to have finally received the legal document showing ownership of the land on which she built her home.

Campbell, a Berbician by birth, is the first and only woman cricketer to have scored a century during the One Day International (ODI) format while batting at number seven or lower. She also has the highest score for any batswoman in a women’s ODI innings when batting at the number seven position or lower, with 105 not out.

Another recipient was Clive David Hazelwood, a policeman. He described the wait as a “long” one as he received his document after seven years of him occupying the land.

Nevertheless, he expressed gratitude to the Government of Guyana for affording him and by extension his family, the opportunity of becoming a homeowner.

In addition to the 262 land titles/transports, over 400 house lots were distributed during the event which was held at the University of Guyana’s Tain Campus.

In his feature address, Minister of Housing and Water Colin Croal noted that the current target in the Upper Corentyne area, primarily Number 75 and Number 76 Villages, is 400 house lots.

He said that another 200 lots will be distributed during the Berbice Exposition, which will be held at Albion over the weekend.

“We must recognise that with the commitment of acquiring additional land …we have to gear our minds that we cannot get a house lot necessarily very close to where we reside, but it’s based on the availability,” he said.

Friday’s allocation adds to the 339 lots which have been distributed in East Berbice/ Corentyne area since the PPP/C took office. Thousands were previously distributed in other regions. The overall target is 6,000 lots.

Palmyra is expected to become the economic hub of the region and there are plans to construct hotels, a stadium, commercial buildings, a synthetic track at New Amsterdam), and a regional aerodrome.

Meanwhile, Minister Croal pointed out that there are several initiatives aimed at assisting persons to become homeowners.

He said that since the launch of the “Home Construction Assistance” programme, 50 Berbicians have expressed interest. One of the pre-qualifications for the programme is proof of land ownership.

Home ownership has also been made easier through partnerships with banking institutions, which have lowered the interest rates for mortgages.

Further, at Fort Ordinance, there is an ongoing construction project where 100 two-bedroom houses are being built. A similar project is ongoing in the Hampshire/ Williamsburg area.

Minster Croal in his address explained that in addition to providing affordable subsidised housing, the ministry also grants building permits for commercial purposes and executes town plans by zoning.

The ministry is committed to the introduction of the electronic single window system, which will provide a more efficient service. This paperless system is expected to reduce the transaction time.

It was also mentioned that the Guyana Water Inc. has invested some $8.6 billion to improve the water supply in the region. Work will be done between Number 45 to 65 Villages. The construction of a water treatment plant at Adventure in 2023, the relocation of transmission and distribution mains between Canje Bridge and Moleson Creek to make way for the widening of the main thoroughfare, are among the plans for the region.

Also speaking at the mid-morning ceremony were Minister Suzan Rodrigues who highlighted government’s manifesto commitments, and Regional Chairman of Region Six, David Armogan, who urged beneficiaries to seek financing so as to construct their homes in the shortest possible time.

Among the other attendees were the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Andre Ally; Regional Executive Officer of Region Six, Navindra Persaud, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Sherwin Greaves.