A strong message has been sent to the residents of Base Road Timehri, Swan Turn, Kuru Kururu, and Banakari (Long Creek), urging them not to sell lease lands granted by the government.
President Dr Irfaan Ali, speaking at the recent lease handover event for approximately 400 residents, emphasised this point.
He revealed that this directive comes in response to instances of people transferring and illegally selling their leases, and he stated that measures will be implemented to prevent such actions.
President Dr Irfaan Ali speaking at the land lease handover event
“We have allocated some 4,000 leases across the country, but we are also going to take measures against landowners who have large lots of lands and leases and are doing nothing with them. Many of them are illegally selling the leases. We are going to amend the legislation, strengthen it so that leases cannot be transferred the way they are currently being sold,” Ali stated.
This announcement was met with applause from the residents.
According to Ali, the lands granted by the government should not be sold.
In this regard, he encouraged residents to not sell it due to the significant fact stating that It would be a better decision if they keep the lands and let it transfer to a next generation.
“I am pleading with you, do not sell your lands! Your land value in the next five years will grow over 2,000%. Don’t sell it, keep that value for your children, let them inherit that value,” he urged.
Ali acknowledged the pressures that may come with owning land, noting that people might receive offers to buy their property.
“Your land’s value is only going to increase. You can use it as collateral at the bank, get a loan, build your home. The value of land in this area is growing exponentially,” he explained.
He also pointed out the government’s efforts to bring a sense of normalcy and decency to all communities through investment. He stated that the government is aiming to bring decency to all communities but in order to do so, the government must invest to provide good infrastructure, increase the value of the land, give them ownership, and enhance their net worth.
According to the Head of State, achieving this requires collective effort and a willingness to embrace change.
Ali recognised that giving up long-held ways of living can be challenging.
“I know that giving up disorganisation can be painful, especially if you’ve been living or squatting in an area for 30-40 years. But without ownership, you can’t take it to the bank, we can’t put in infrastructure, and you’re not realising the full potential of that land,” he noted.
He emphasised that the government does not just want to relocate people squatting along the highway but to provide them with land ownership.
“If you look at the pace of road development on the highway, we want you to become organised as quickly as possible. We have set a deadline for squatting on the highway, but we don’t just want to remove people; we want to give them the opportunity to own their own land. We care about people and want to give them the chance to own their land,” Ali explained.
Additionally, he highlighted the significant number of applicants in Circuitville, where only a portion has been regularised.
Currently there are some 15,000 applications in Circuitville, which is another area that the government wants to address. He pointed out that an estimate of about 60% of those in that spot assessment can be regularised.
“We are ready to work with regularising the 60%. But we also want the 40% to understand that if they are not captured in the area that can be regularised, we will move them and ask them to work with us,” Ali stated.
Through these efforts, President Ali aims to ensure that the land allocated to residents not only remains in their hands but also appreciates in value, thereby providing long-term economic benefits and stability. (G2)
