President revokes key powers of Lands Commissioner

The Lands and Surveys Commissioner Trevor Benn no longer has the power to sanction the renting of public lands or grant any new leases, licenses or permission related to public lands.

Benn was granted the powers by the then President David Granger in 2016 but newly sworn-in President Irfaan Ali on Friday revoked those powers with immediate effect.

It means that the arrangements regarding public lands automatically revert to the President.

“Under various pieces of legislation, His Excellency the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, delegates a number of powers vested in His Excellency, including, the State Lands Act and the Lands Department Act in respect of sanctioning of renting and granting of leases, licenses and permission of occupancy of all Public Lands, to the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission, exercisable by the Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission,” a statement from the Attorney General Anil Nandlall said Friday.

According to the statement, a review of all leases, licenses and permissions to occupy Public Lands, granted since the 21^st day of December 2018, will be conducted.

“On the 21^st day of December 2018, the APNU+AFC Government was defeated by a No-Confidence Motion passed in the National Assembly. As a result thereof, it was reduced to a caretaker status only,” the Attorney General said.