Minister Ali calls on stakeholders to support housing sector
MINISTER of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, is encouraging all stakeholders to continue supporting the sector in the interest of national development and the housing programme. He made this call last week during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, when he reassured that the stage is being set for a boom in house lot allocation by the middle of this year.
“We are in the process of completing infrastructure in a number of areas, we cannot allocate land if the infrastructure is not there, because the aim is to allocate what we call serviced lots,” he explained.
While he acknowledged that the year has just begun, Minister Ali pointed out that the programmes set for this year will not be advanced until the national budget makes available the necessary financial resources to do so.
He said, “While we can do all the work to stage the set off, we still have to wait on that process to unfold, you cannot do it if the resources are not there.”
Despite this, however, Ali said that major plans are underway for the planning and  completion of infrastructural works in a number of areas across the country, including the East Bank of Demerara, East Coast of Demerara, Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), Region 8 (Potaro/Siparuni) and also in Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne).”
He used the opportunity to highlight the scope of the countrywide housing programme and to assure that this is being executed in a sustainable manner.
“It is important to understand that the housing programme goes far beyond the East Bank, it also goes in Region 3, which is also a major area for investment. We have completed expansion in Parfaite Harmonie, Zeelugt, Tuschen, Leonora, Anna Catherina, Belle West and  Recht-door-zee,” Ali stated.
In addition to this, there are plans to make available another 700 lots in Region 3 and to facilitate this, the design for Uitvlugt housing scheme has been completed and works are expected to commence shortly.
“We are also going to target another expansion in Zeelugt  and that is for Region 3; the target is to create between 800-1000 lots this year,” Ali revealed.
Alluding to the development in Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica) the Housing Minister noted that the allocation target is 3000 lots on the East Bank of Demerara alone, and close to 1000 lots on the East Coast of Demerara.
Ali said, “Coming on the East Coast, where we also have a high demand, we have just acquired 2,500 acres of land from GuySuCo; so far they have released   500 acres and we are in the survey stage, then we will go to design, engineering, planning, advertising. We are hoping that by the commencement of the first quarter, we will be in a position to go to tender for the development, when we hope to add another 500-800 lots to the total development plan.”
Coupled with this expansion, Region 7 will also see 500 lots made ready by the end of May, while two more areas in Region 8 will see 400 serviced lots available, he said.
As to additional expansion, Ali divulged that as a result of growing interest in Region 6, efforts are under way to secure more land in the upper Corentyne area.
He provided a status report on several of the areas currently under development.
“By April, we will complete work at Providence, where more than 1000 lots will be ready for allocation; we have already tendered out Herstelling, designed Farm and we are now in the process of doing surveys on the East Coast. In addition, we have already designed Uitvlugt, so you will see a pulse of activity, not because you are not seeing one stop shop  means we are not allocating,” he said.
The minister reiterated the call for the continued support of the housing programmes and policies, for the benefit of all Guyanese.