More than 1000 Lindeners were allotted house lots during the Housing and Water Ministry One Stop Shop exercise held in the mining town on Thursday.
Addressing hundreds gathered at the event, Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali stated that not only was the government responsive to the needs of the people but it is also very dedicated towards ensuring that their lives are transformed socially and economically through the provision of a wide range of public goods and services.
Housing Minister Irfaan Ali and ministry officials pose with some of the allottees at the One Stop Shop held in Linden on Thursday
Minister Ali said the housing sector and development in Guyana have come a long way surviving various hardships, challenges and what he referred to as the “transformational changes” which were necessary to bringing the country back on the path to sustainable development.
He said the government had no apologies to offer naysayers and other critics for its decision to venture to Linden this year and empowering more citizens with much needed houselots.
“You deserve them and its normal for citizens to look forward to these entitlements when they abide by the law, meet the requirements and pay their taxes”, Ali said sharply.
He disclosed mind boggling facts which detailed the investment that government has made in the housing sector and to aid the drive at Linden much to the contrary of information being peddled about “discrimination and neglect” of the residents there.
“Over the last six years, we have invested a whopping Gy$2.1 billion in the housing sector at Linden… this translates into a per capita investment of Gy$52,500, and over the next five years nearly Gy$3 billion would be invested,” Ali announced.
He spoke about plans within the next two to three years that would see the construction and commissioning of two new water treatment plants in Linden with one being in Amelia’s Ward and the other in Wisroc.
“You are on the road to improving your asset value and your net economic worth. You are on the road to owning something and improving your asset base”, Ali said.
Ali said the ministry has implemented new policies that would see action being taken against house-lot owners who fail to properly maintain the land and its environs, construct within a reasonable time and pollute as well as damage the road infrastructure by storing or dumping builders waste and materials. He urged all those present to learn to exploit the benefits of “economies of scales”, advising Lindeners to group themselves up and make purchases at some of the hardware stores and outlets that have building materials so as to get price discounts and other bargains.
The housing minister said that while he was pleased to have the commercial banks and lending agencies on board, he had a score to settle or some advice for institutions that were not issuing loans on favourable terms to residents of Linden.
“I want to say that they have believed a myth. A myth that says that Lindeners do not possess the economic ability to pay their loans,” Ali said, in essence arguing that they were wrong about Lindeners.
He called on the banks and the private sector to change their policy positions towards Linden as he strongly believed that the housing drive was being accelerated within the Region 10 community.
