Amerindians have key roles in land titling, revision of Amerindian Act – Sukhai

…own 16.4% of Guyana’s landmass

The Government has assured that Indigenous communities will play leading roles in the land titling process, with the National Toshaos Council (NTC) represented on the oversight committee.
Speaking on the opening day of the NTC 2025 Conference, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai underscored the administration’s commitment to land rights. She emphasised that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government takes the rights of Indigenous populations seriously. Notably, the NTC holds a seat on the Oversight Committee for Land Titling, as well as on the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 (LCDS 2030) Multi-Stakeholder Committee.
“Land Rights have always been a priority for the People’s Progressive Party’s Civic Government. While some unscrupulous person may attempt to mislead the indigenous population on this issue, I remind you that both NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) and the NTC are represented on the Oversight Committee for Land Titling and on the LCDS 2030, the Multi-Stakeholder Committee,” Sukhai said.

Sukhai also revealed that at present, Amerindians own 16.4 per cent of Guyana’s land mass, making them the second largest private land owners in the country. She also assured that the ongoing review of the Amerindian Act of 2006 will be very inclusive and ensure that fair consent is applied.
“Our Government continues to actively engage in the land titling and demarcation processes. Amerindians also account for 10 per cent of our population currently owning 16.4 per cent of Guyana land mass, being the second largest private land owner in our country.”
“These goals are rooted in the Amerindian Act of 2006, which we are currently reviewing. The review process has been inclusive and transparent, founded on free and fair consent and broad stakeholder engagements,” the Minister added.
In this year’s budget, a sum of $7.2 billion had been set aside to enhance welfare of Amerindian communities. Of this, $150 million was budgeted in 2025 to support the NTC conference that is being held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC)… an increase from the $136.5 million spent last year for the same purpose.
As part of the PPP/C Administration’s commitment towards the recognition and protection of the collective rights of Amerindian Villages and Communities, this year’s budget also allocated over $80 million for the revision of the 2006 Amerindian Act. In its manifesto in the 2020 General and Regional Elections, it had promised a review of the Amerindian Act after a process of extensive public consultations.
The Amerindian Act of 2006 is the primary legislation that governs the affairs of the Amerindian peoples of Guyana. It provides for the recognition, and protection of collective rights of Amerindian villages and communities in Guyana and the promotion of good governance.
When it comes to land rights for Indigenous populations, the Government had invested US$900,000 in the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) project in 2024, underscoring its commitment to addressing historical land tenure issues and promoting indigenous rights.
The expenditure formed part of the Amerindian Affairs Ministry’s $800 million budgetary allocation for that year. Between 2020 and 2024 alone, more than 21 land titles were issued. In 2024, the Government issued two certificates of title, granted six absolute land grants, and successfully conducted seven demarcation exercises.