PPP/C Government will once again rescue Guyana’s housing sector

Dear Editor,
The PPP/C Administration is working to fulfil their manifesto promises, since the APNU/AFC failed to execute their campaign promises made in 2015.
They promised affordable housing to teachers, public servants, nurses, Disciplined Forces among others and they did not deliver. They promised incentives to the Private Sector to reduce construction costs and again, could not deliver. They could not keep any of their promises that they made in their own manifesto. Imagine between 2010 and 2015, 22,000-plus house lots were given out to citizens by the PPP/C Government. Astonishingly, under the APNU/AFC coalition, 7534 house lots were allocated between 2015-2020.
The APNU/AFC stayed in office, what is more shocking is the David Granger regime constructed duplexes for some Guyanese citizens without amending the Condominium Act to include this type of house. Now, these citizens are feeling the hardship of being disqualified from accessing loans, insurances or titles.
The result is that those citizens that invested their hard-earned dollars into those duplex houses cannot get insurance or titles and even more worrying is that the banks are not amendable to hold duplexes as collateral. How could any Minister be so stupid to allow this to happen? Even though they inherited a robust housing sector, it has plunged into complete disorder and confusion in four years. No wonder why! The PPP/C Government will once again rescue the housing sector in 2021 and onwards.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic will distribute and allocate $10,000 house lots to Guyanese citizens in 2021 and issue a minimum of 7000 land titles to many citizens who have been waiting for years to own their own homes.
In keeping with PPP/C’s manifesto promise to Guyanese, the PPP/C Administration will deliver 50,000 house lots by 2025, Guyanese must know that the present backlog of house lots applications is presently more than 70,000, let me remind Guyanese that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government is only in office for a very short period and has already allocated 3600 house lots and 413 land titles to Guyanese citizens.
The national housing development plan for 2021 includes the construction of 1000 homes for low-income earners in areas such as Amelia’s Ward, Cummings Lodge, Prospect, Providence, Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Onderneeing, Wales, Ordinance, Fortlands, Hampshire and Williamsburg.
Another 100 houses are set aside for the hinterland communities, citizens can look forward to benefitting from the construction of new roads and bridges as well as better water and electricity distribution in all regions.
The PPP/C Government promised homeowners new home improvement subsidies as well as building core homes in La Parfaite Harmonie and Sophia, creating new recreational facilities, developments that include the construction of roads, bridges, drainage with water and electrical distribution networks which will be undertaken to complete infrastructure development works.
The Housing Ministry will enable cheaper prices for building materials and allow a single window of approval for business plans to ease the route to homeownership.
I am happy that the Government has seen the wisdom of allotting 10,000 house lots in 2021.
The 2021 budget will also see the removal of Value-Added Tax (VAT) on building and construction materials which must reduce the cost of building new homes in the future. Now that the burden of taxes is removed, it is a clear indication that the PPP/C Government is committed, and will be working to ensure that the tax measures announced in the 2021 budgetary measures, benefits the ordinary Guyanese and those who intend to build their own homes.
One of the biggest achievements in a person’s life is homeownership, it comes with it a sense of pride, fulfilment and security. It opens the door to endless opportunities, such as access to lending institutions, climbing the social ladder, and leaving an inheritance for your children, thereby providing the next generation with a stepping stone on which to begin their own lives.
Under the leadership of President Dr Irfaan Ali, the housing sector will be restored to the place it once enjoyed, and will be steered to move beyond allocation of house lots but will focus mainly on encouraging, promoting and facilitating homeownership and community building.
Our PPP/C Government is determined to provide every Guyanese family with a decent home, in a safe, secure and proper neighbourhood; not as squatters or tenants, but as responsible and proud owners with titles that banks and other lending institutions will regard as good security. One must know that Guyana’s housing development programme is designed to implement national housing and settlement policies through an efficient, well-planned, coordinated and structured framework, in order to realise the development of sustainable, affordable and modern settlements.
Our Government will deliver serviced lots through a comprehensive and coordinated approach among all of the agencies involved in order for Guyanese of all income brackets to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.
Guyana is on the curve of a great transformation and our PPP/C Government will make it possible for every Guyanese to benefit from that development, and for Guyanese of all walks of life to experience a significant elevation in their standard of living.

Sincerely,
David Adams