Rupanau, located in the Deep South Rupununi in Region Nine, has received its land title document, guaranteeing its absolute ownership of 11,184.16 acres of community land.
Minister Sydney Allicock handing over the document to Aishalton Toshao Douglas Casimero on behalf of Rupanau
Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, handed over the document to Aishalton Toshao Douglas Casimero on behalf of Rupanau, on September 23 at the St Ignatius Benab.
According to the Department of Public Information, the Minister explained that the community’s land-titling process was completed in September 2015, but the document was only recently finalised, hence the hand-over this year.
Minister Allicock noted that the presentation of the document is timely, since it coincides with Indigenous Heritage Month. “The people have something more to celebrate”, he enthused.
Under the Guyana REDD + Investment Fund (GRIF), the former PPP/C Administration had, in 2013, signed a US$10.7million agreement to implement an Indigenous land-titling and demarcation project. The project came to an end in 2016, but the Ministry requested an extension in the 2017 budget. This resulted in $165million being earmarked to advance land titling for the remaining identified areas.
In 2016, almost 1,000 square kilometres of land had been demarcated in Regions One, Seven, and Eight.
