Land titling, interior roads condition high on NTC agenda – source

As toshaos from across the country prepare to convene at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre for the 12th National Toshaos Council Conference commencing on Monday, the issues of deplorable roads in the hinterland communities and Government’s inability to issue new land titles are said to be major parts of the agenda.

A source close to the National Toshaos Council (NTC) told this publication that the deplorable condition of the interior roads has been a major concern for the Amerindian communities for quite some time. The source explained that some villages, particularly in Regions 1 and 9, are cut off because roads are either impassible or washed away.
“A lot of the leaders have complained about the road condition, so when they meet next week, that along with the Amerindian Act and land titles would take centre stage. We hope the Government could address the land title issue and the roads as soon as possible, since the roads and lands are critical for the villages,” the source related.
Hinterland Parliamentarian Alister Charlie recently said that more than 4,000 residents in the villages of Wauna, Yarakita, Kamwatta and White Water in Region One (Barima-Waini) are directly or indirectly affected by lack of proper roads. He said that, on a daily basis, students, teachers and other residents traverse the roadways and their transportation cost is substantial.
Just last month, the Public Infrastructure Ministry had to close a section of the Linden-Lethem Road, between the communities of Mabura and Kurupukari, to facilitate emergency repairs. Following that, the Ministry of Natural Resources announced that an estimated $640 million has been allocated for works on the Linden-Lethem Road. However, works will not commence until the end of the rainy season, the Ministry has stated.
The $650 million was taken from the coffers of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, and would see maintenance works being executed on the Mabura, Kwakwani and Lethem roads. The condition of those roads continues to deteriorate, due to heavy rainfall coupled with the fact that heavy vehicles laden with lumber constantly traverse them.
The condition of the roads has been much talked about, with users complaining bitterly about their state and the damages their vehicles are forced to endure. Heavy rainfall and constant flooding causes a lot of the villages to suffer, since access to them are cut off when the roads wash away.

No new titles
Since taking office in 2015, the APNU/AFC Administration has failed to issue new land titles, causing the NTC to come out and bash them for this failure. Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock, has said only 26 percent of the Amerindian Land Titling Project has been completed.
“I have not been able to title any village, because we want to do things that are truly reflected in the free, prior and informed (consent) (FPIC) process,” the minister stated.
The minister told the Parliamentary Natural Resources Committee that the ALT work programme which commenced in 2013 will require another decade before it could be completed, although the project’s life comes to an end in October 2018. According to him, only about 25 per cent of the total US$10 million earmarked for the project has been utilised thus far – some Gy$500 million, or US$2.5 million.
The Government in 2013 signed a US$10.7 million agreement for the implementation of the Amerindian Land Titling and Demarcation project, which concluded in 2016. However, an extension in 2017 was requested, resulting in $165 million being earmarked for the advancing of the remaining identified areas.
So far, 13 communities have applied for absolute grants for the first time. Of that number, seven have received approval and six have been demarcated. Out of 23 communities, 14 have been issued with certificates of title. But not one single community has so far received a title under this new Government.
The ALT project seeks to achieve three major goals: completion of land titling issues and demarcation process for all Amerindian villages that submitted requests; increased use of existing and alternative mechanisms to resolve land titling disputes; and a communication strategy, including a handbook describing the process of titling, demarcation, and social economic impact of secure land tenure.
The project is being financed from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).