President urges builders, contractors to be innovative
— to experiment with new materials PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar has acknowledged that the building sector has created a very strong and positive impact on the economy, and “at the same time, it is a clear signal that our economy is doing much better than it has done in the past”.
He has also urged that contractors and builders  look at alternative materials that can be used in that sector.
The Head of State was delivering the feature address at the launching of the Third International Building Exposition, staged by the Ministry of Housing/Central Housing and Planning Authority under the theme: “Embracing Standards – Building the Future’, last Friday evening at Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara. The much-anticipated Building Expo 2012 will take place at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara from July 6 to 8.
President Ramotar took the opportunity to thank and congratulate Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, and his hard-working staff for doing a tremendous job over the years, and he alluded to a long list of successes to the government’s credit; but, he said, “Among the jewels in its crown is the Ministry of Housing and the work that they have been doing.
“I value that very, very much, because I recall my own life in a way; and I think that, without a change in government, I might not have had my own house. And I believe that many, many ordinary working people would not have had their own homes,” he insisted.
“Now we have a totally different situation, where it is no longer a dream for people to own their own homes, but we have made that a reality,” he posited, adding: “Only those who lived in rented houses and then got their own homes know how secure one feels in having their own roofs above their heads, and no landlord to come and tell them if they will have an increase in rent.
“The Ministry of Housing has created that condition, and it has been accelerated under Irfaan’s term as the Minister of Housing, where we have had thousands of people having an opportunity to own their own homes,” the President said.
Growth in the building sector in Guyana has had many positive effects, the Head of State recognised, as well as, a big impact on the economy and a big impact on solving a lot of the unemployment situation.
“Because the construction sector has grown rapidly, so much so that we hear one of the captains of the private sector complaining about skills, and we have thought about that as well, and that is why we have built several technical institutes in different parts of the country, so that we can train skills directly for the construction sector; and also in other sectors in which we will have relations to them,” he pointed out.
“The building sector has had a very strong (and) positive impact on our economy, and (has) created a lot of jobs and a lot of economic activities in Guyana.
“At the same time, it is a clear signal that our economy is doing much better than it has done in the past,” the President underscored.
The Head of State disclosed that for the period 2007 to 2011, more than 24,000 house lots have been allocated to citizens of Guyana.
“I believe that contractors and builders, ordinary people who are building houses, should also begin to look at alternative materials. There is an unbelievable amount of new kinds of materials that can be used in the building sector,” the President encouraged.
He announced that, in order to try to encourage this, he would be looking “at the incentive regime for people who (would) use alternative building materials to construct their homes, or to construct any other thing that they have.”
The building industry, he said, has to be supported by other infrastructural work in Guyana; and to this end, government is looking at many aspects of the infrastructure which are very important to transform Guyana. One of the things, he said, is the hydro-electric project, which will have a very strong impact on the country.
“Cheap energy, I think, is extremely important for us to have a vibrant economy; and we have been struggling with energy for a very, very long time in this country. And we hope that getting the hydropower will go a far way in (helping) us (solve) that problem,” he expressed.
President Ramotar also noted that many persons are interested in remigrating, and he referred to the Housing Ministry putting up a website to cater to the interest of members of the diaspora who want to come home and build their own homes. He disclosed that 1,000 house lots have been reserved for members of the diaspora, and 2,000 applications in this regard have been received.
“I think that indicates to us that we probably are turning the tide a little bit, and more and more people want to come back home; but there are a lot of things we have to do so that we can turn the trickle and make it into a flood,” he insisted.
President Ramotar mentioned further improving educational standards, health services, and security, all of which the government is working on. He also pointed to plans for the road from Linden to Lethem the deepwater harbour in the Berbice area, and improving the harbour facilities in Georgetown.
“I am glad to see that a lot of the new housing areas will also spread right across the country — from Essequibo right through to Berbice — giving people the opportunity (to construct) their own homes, providing land at rates that they can afford (to pay for) to build houses in their society, because I think that we have to work very hard to stimulate the village economies,” he said.
He said the housing drive will certainly contribute to stimulating the economies of those villages, and will also hopefully “raise people’s pride, and standards and levels” to have a better society.
“I want, once more, to take the opportunity to congratulate (staffers at) the Ministry of Housing for the work that they are doing; congratulate the Minister of Housing, and to say best of luck, and let us work together to make Guyana the place we know it can be – the best in the world,” he stated.
Also delivering remarks were Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Water, Emil McGarrell; and Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Ramesh Dookhoo.
The Building Expo 2012 Jingle and Video was also introduced, and a media award was presented to Michael Younge of Guyana Times for his excellent work for Building Expo 2011.
The Building Expo aims at consolidating linkages among local, regional and international stakeholders in the construction and housing sector. It will have exhibits from suppliers of hardware and electrical supplies; contractors and construction and engineering companies; saw- millers and lumber dealers; housing developers and real estate agencies; furniture manufacturers and suppliers; and suppliers of paint and household items, among others.
It will provide investment opportunities, and create opportunities for networking between and among local, regional and international businesses. It offers exhibitors opportunities to showcase products and services; exchange ideas and disseminate technical information; promote construction methods and techniques; introduce new building materials, and explore investment opportunities.