96 Berbicians benefit from steel, cement subsidies

The Central Planning and Housing Authority (CHPA) on Wednesday continued its steel and cement subsidies programme, this time targeting Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), where some 96 persons benefitted.
In another measure to ensure the ease of home ownership in Guyana, these 96 residents were presented with steel and cement subsidies to the tune of $225,000 each.
“[The Housing and Water Ministry] wants to be able to be a facilitator, an enabling environment, so that you can as quickly as possible move on to the state of home-ownership,” said Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal to residents during the voucher-distribution exercise.

“Part of that initiative is to help persons to start the construction or the foundation stage, [and] give you that impetus [and] that encouragement,” Croal said. “That is why [we] had the announcement of the steel and cement subsidy programme.”
After recognising that several house lots were left empty after their allocation due to their owners being unable to start building right away, the Government established this subsidy programme to aid the residents in starting their construction process.
Applicants that are qualified for mortgages up to $25 million are eligible for this programme. Of the 96 selected applicants within this Region Six exercise, 68 will be collecting cement only, and the other 28 will collect steel and cement.
“For $6 million and below, steel and cement will be provided. And for those mortgages, $6 million to $25 million, we will be giving you two slings of cement, and this will be done in the form of our voucher,” Permanent Secretary within the Housing Ministry, Andre Ally, said.
These vouchers can be redeemed at four locations within Region Six: Gafsons Industries Ltd., National Hardware, David Persaud Investment Ltd, and N. Singh Lumberyard and Hardware Store.
“This initiative not only assists the beneficiaries, but also the hardware stores in getting their sales,” CHPA Chief Executive Officer Sherwyn Greaves said.
“It stimulates the economy in terms of the money being spent and circulated in Region Six, and jobs being provided for the construction workers.”
Each supplier involved in this programme has signed an agreement to keep a fixed price for their cement and steel for voucher recipients. Starting from Wednesday, this voucher expires after six months.
“We don’t want you to sit on it, because we went through a process, and so we also have to have timelines for doing such [initiatives,]” Croal said.