–President Ali announces hands-on support to build homes in Region Five

–distributes additional 125 certificates of titles to Cotton Tree residents

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday announced that the government will work closely with residents of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) to develop some 1,500 house lots that were previously distributed but were under-developed.

The President made this announcement at Cotton Field, where the government distributed Certificates of Titles to residents.

“So, we’ll be hand holding you in helping you to get the loans, hand holding you and helping you to get your designs and hand holding you into moving towards home ownership,” the President said.

He added: “That means between the government, between the private sector, the bank, and those who own those existing homes, it will be an investment of $12 billion in building moderate-income homes on those house lots in Region Five.”

Further, to meet the demand for housing in the region, the government is working to acquire some 2,000 acres of land in the Blairmont and Experiment areas to satisfy the over 3,000 applications within the system.

“Now, just to give you an understanding, to develop 500 acres of that land, or to develop this land, to move it to house lots. We are talking about an investment of close to $10 billion,” the President said.

LAND TITLE

Meanwhile, some 125 residents of Cotton Tree received their certificates of titles for lands they have occupied for decades and were passed down from their ancestors.

“They passed on something more valuable than money, the starting point in life. We are here today because our fore parents believed in ownership over dependency. They believed in building, not begging. They believed in assets, not handouts. And that lesson is as relevant today as it was then,” the President said.

The government, he said, is building an assets base, ensuring that every Guyanese is empowered through land ownership, setting the precedent to eradicate poverty.

Simultaneously, he highlighted the government’s investments in infrastructural technology to build an ecosystem that supports productivity and improved value.

“There is no other investment that is more critical than this in beating poverty, defeating poverty and creating wealth; ask yourselves this question: can a family escape poverty without assets? Can a household build generational security without ownership? Can a nation truly develop if its people hold nothing?… That is why our vision as a government has been clear and consistent to help Guyanese people acquire wealth, not just survive,” the Head of State said.

EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

He stressed that the government’s strategy of enhancing the well-being of citizens is focused on expanding economic opportunities so people can earn more.

The Head of State said: “We have worked to enhance disposable income so families can save and invest. We have reduced taxes, including adjusting the income tax threshold to ensure more money remains in workers’ pockets. We reduce costs for households by supporting children’s education through the because we care programme, we will remove taxes and construction materials and reduce interest rates for home loans so as to make housing affordable.”

“Our approach is simple but powerful, raise incomes, reduce burdens, create assets and land. Land ownership is central to that strategy,” he added.

Friday’s exercise marks the second phase of land regularisation in the community and brings the total number of beneficiaries in Cotton Tree to over 300 families.

“This is not charity. It is empowering. When a person owns land, they own an asset, that asset can appreciate in value. It can be developed; it can be used as collateral. It can be passed onto children.”

The President reiterated that the government’s investment in land and home ownership is rooted in creating a sustainable and prosperous future for all Guyanese.

“It becomes a foundation for entrepreneurship, for housing, for farming and for small business. Land is not just soil, it is opportunity. Land is not just space, it is security. Land is not just property, it is power for the beneficiary, acquiring land provides a jump-started life,” President Ali said.

DECADES

Meanwhile, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, hailed the handover of land titles to residents as a “significant, generational achievement” for ordinary families.

He stressed that legal ownership allows residents to access bank loans, realise full market value for their properties, and pass assets on to future generations.

Nandlall highlighted similar exercises underway or planned in several West Coast villages, as well as areas in Region Six on the East Bank of the Berbice River, the Corentyne, the Essequibo Coast, Pomeroon in Region Two and along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

He urged residents to keep co-operating with surveyors and officials so that remaining titles can be processed and distributed as quickly as possible.

Also offering brief remarks, Minister of Education and Regional Parliamentary Representative for Region Five Sonia Parag, said the exercise represents the government’s continuous support and long-term planning efforts to empower and create security for residents.