WITH more than 75 per cent of the work completed, construction of the new Ministry of Housing and Water, Central Housing and Planning Authority building in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) is on schedule.
This is according to subject minister, Collin Croal, who spoke with the Sunday Chronicle after he visited the site. Croal said he is very pleased and satisfied to see that the contractors are working assiduously to get the structure completed in the allotted time.

“I visited the site earlier [last] week, and I am very satisfied with the pace at which the work is progressing. This new structure will improve the services to the residents of Region Three, and it will also reduce the crowding at the head office in Georgetown.”
He continued, “Right now, we are occupying a space in the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) building at Vreed-En-Hoop. However, because of our substantial number of filings and staff, we have since outgrown the space, so we are currently constructing our new office in the Pouderoyen compound, where the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Regional Office is also located. As we develop new housing schemes, the capacity of the region is obviously increasing, and so is the responsibility of our office every day.”
He explained that the structure was strategically erected in the same compound as GWI, since the space was available and considering how difficult it is to locate empty plots of land in the Vreed-En-Hoop area.

“We wanted a central area, and finding lands in the Vreed-En-Hoop area isn’t as easy, and it will also help the people to come to one location and get their businesses done,” he explained.
This newspaper understands that the $19.6 million project is being carried out by Dale Chowkai and Sons Construction and is projected to be concluded by the end of November.
According to Croal, the ministry will spend the month of December furnishing the building and making sure it is set and ready for use in January 2024.
Croal related that the new facility would measure 20 feet in width and 40 feet in length, with a flat roof, a modern design parapet wall, aluminum frame windows, sheet rock ceilings, and tiled floors.

He also noted that the project provides an asphaltic concrete parking lot for the staff, which will accommodate about four vehicles. The housing minister emphasised that the building would facilitate space for a “dedicated waiting area for customers, customer service staff, general staff, an office for one supervisor, a storage room, a kitchenette, and a male and female washroom.”
Croal reiterated that the government continues to work towards improving service delivery across the nation.
“We understand that many people are travelling long distances to conduct their businesses at the housing head office in Georgetown, and we know that it is a tedious task to get there. So, that is why we are making sure we build these sub-offices in the regions to alleviate that hassle for our people,” the housing minister said.
Meanwhile, a similar intervention will be made in Region Five for the new year.