Georgetown: As the Government of Guyana hosted its inaugural outreach themed “Bringing Government to the People”, scores of persons flocked the Ministry of Communities’ Department of Housing’s booth to have their needs and concerns addressed.
There was an overwhelming demand for house lot applications through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).
Minister within the Ministry of Communities with the responsibility for Housing, Valerie Adams-Yearwood, told the Department of Public Information that over 800 applications for house lots in Demerara-Mahaica, Region Four were filed or queried.
The areas made available for application today were Meten-Meer-Zorg in Region Three, Annandale and Vigilance on the East Coast of Demerara.
“What we have done is collected offer letters. The areas are not ready, so what we are doing is collecting the letters with the contact numbers and within two to three weeks we will be ready for allocation. As long as we have lots available, we will do this exercise…in the form of ‘Public Day’ at the office in Brickdam,” the Minister explained.
“I also will be going into other areas and Regions to do similar exercises as house lots become available. The next area we will move to is Region Six, then Five then Three,” she added.
Head of the Political Division of the Ministry of the Presidency Fredrick McWilfred who was the coordinator of today’s activity said the event yielded a tremendous turnout, which saw an overwhelming number of persons benefiting from the CH&PA’s services.
“Some people have tendered documents to show that they have been waiting since the 90s, for a house lot,” He explained.
Several of those persons had their issues addressed today; a testimony to the commitment the Department of Housing has, to ensure that all Guyanese have access to adequate land and housing solutions, McWilfred noted.
“Recognizing that we cannot complete this process today, we are putting a system in place for them to return tomorrow to be processed,” he added.
Prince Bowman, a citizen from West Coast Berbice travelled to the capital city in the hope of having his matter heard by the Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman.
Bowman had purchased 20 mining claims, however, while trying to get a transfer of ownership, he was reportedly challenged by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission for the land.
He told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that after taking the GGMC to court, the outcome was in his favour, the GGMC then took him to court, however again, the outcome was in his favour.
Today he said he needed the Minister’s intervention to have the matter fully settled.
“I placed all my documents before the Minister … and the Minister has recommended for me to have license for those claims … I have every confidence in the minister,” stated Bowman.
Another citizen, Cheryl Vandercruise met with the minister about acquiring land for her organisation, the National Amazon Women Entrepreneurial Development.
“Putting in an application and waiting seems forever and issues are not addressed. We thought if we came, the matter could be expedited … the minister was very pellucid, and I look forward to his answer” said Vandercruise
Another citizen, Francis Anderson, said the government’s consultation with the people augers well for democracy and is in keeping with the constitution.
In the meantime, speaking with DPI, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, said his ministry now has quite a bit of work to do in responding to the matters brought by citizens.
“Today is extremely important because we get a chance to meet people with real issues” he noted.
Adding that he has given himself a time frame of two weeks to respond to the concerns brought before him. “I have given myself two weeks maximum, I think people are frustrated and are deserving of quick answers, quickly as we can provide it.”
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