Housing and water sectors to be revolutionised in 2011

Next year promises to be one of the most productive, lucrative and rewarding years for the construction, building, water and housing sectors, as government is expected to devise and embark on several new projects to modernize and fast-track the development of these sectors.

This is the assurance of Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali. He says these sectors are also expected to contribute significantly to Guyana’s gross domestic product (GDP) and the country’s goal of alleviating poverty, by raising the standard of living of all Guyanese through the provision of affordable housing and water services. 

Minister Ali told this publication that the ministry will look at new legislation which could potentially transform the way business is done in relation to housing. The Housing Ministry understands and accepts that modern legislation is necessary to tackle those issues relating to squatter settlements and illegal squatting, to bring more order to the housing sector. Ali also confirmed that the ministry was taking steps to devise legislation that would provide effective management of the real estate sector and investments in the private housing development area. 

“We understand the need for such legislation, and focus will be placed to ensure that consultations and the appropriate models are reviewed in these respects. Of course, cabinet and the attorney general will have to play an integral role in devising such legislation”, Minister Ali noted. 

For a long time now, the Housing and Water Ministry has been working assiduously to reduce the number of growing squatter settlements, which have serious consequences not only for land maintenance, drainage and irrigation, but Guyana’s overall development. The ministry has also been working tirelessly, according to senior officials, to regularize some squatter settlements.

Statistics show that, for 2010 alone, more than 27 surveys were completed in respect to squatter settlements. 

This has resulted in some 216 squatter settlements being placed on the ministry’s register. Of this amount, some 160 have already been regularized and have received attention and land legally from the ministry. 

Sixty other settlements are currently being looked at, but 40 of them are in zero-tolerance areas, and the occupants will not be allowed to stay there. Among the areas that have been regularized are Block 22 Wismar, Linden; and Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara. 

Meanwhile the housing and water minister said government expects the private sector to step up to the plate in 2011 to cement and consolidate the growth in the housing sector. He said that he stands by the position of President Bharrat Jagdeo that there is need for a stronger and much more vibrant private/public sector partnership, which will result in growth of the industries in question and development of the lives of all Guyanese. 

“We have been working hard to realize the aim of a good public/private sector partnership, and it is my view that this is the way to go; hence I want to issue a new call for small, medium, and large scale businesses to get on board and help build Guyana”, Ali stated.

He said that the construction and housing industries have huge potential to lead Guyana’s development next year, based alone on their performance this year. He believes that if such a partnership is developed with the key players within the private sector, troublesome and ancient problems relating to proper building codes and parking can be addressed from a multi-stakeholder approach.

Speaking on investment, Minister Ali said that government’s policy is transparent and clear. “I have been meeting with investors from various parts of the world who are interested in developing and investing in Guyana’s potential”, a focused Ali reported.

For this month alone, he has met with more than 14 Trinidadian investors. He is convinced that, come next year, the sector will also receive more attention on the regional and international scenes, as more entities are being invited to be part of the country’s April building expo. 

House lots

Minister Ali has also reported that the ministry has a target of 7,000 house lots to be distributed next year, since it surpassed this year’s target of 5,500 set by government. 

“Government’s goal is not just simply to govern, but to understand the needs of the populace, and to ensure that we invest and make the changes where (these) matter the most. This has been a good year for us; but next year will be a tremendous, or even better, one for us”, the minister projected.

Several new housing schemes are also slated to be completed by next year. 

Meanwhile, Minister Ali made formal announcement that the Guyana Water Incorporated has been doing much better in the area of financing and revenue collection than it had been doing in previous years. He argued that the management team at the company has been successful in achieving and surpassing the targets set for key projects outlined by government. 

He cautioned errant persons that the water authority would not wait forever for them to pay their water rates and taxes, which are ranked among the lowest in the Caribbean and Latin America. 

“People who didn’t have access to potable water now do, and (they) are not asking for water any more, but treated water and purified water. So the work of the ministry does not end with simply providing the service, but improving it,” Ali said. 

He refuted the critics’ arguments that there is some favouritism or discrimination in the way GWI and government have been distributing the resource, noting that Guyana has constantly been receiving kudos from international agencies for its policies and projects, which are aimed at equity and meeting its high standards.