Free cement and steel have been promised to some categories of home builders and President Dr. Irfaan Ali assured Guyanese that these materials will be distributed in the coming weeks.
It was the Guyanese Head of State, while addressing the opening of the International Building Expo 2022 on July 22, who promised these materials to home builders.
For homes that cost $6 million or less, every builder will get the steel needed for construction and one sling of cement.
For every home that costs more than $6 million and up to $25 million, the government will provide two slings of cement.
Asked for an update on the distribution of these materials at the sidelines of an event on Wednesday, President Ali said that the institutional arrangement that will facilitate the rollout is being put in place.
“… in a few weeks it will be in full swing,” he told reporters.
Dr. Ali also explained that once people present their approved construction plans, those materials will be immediately provided. He, however, cautioned that there will be some monitoring mechanism to ensure that people are actually building their houses.
Importantly, the President also noted that an online register may also be created to aid this process.
Previously, the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA) Chief Executive Officer Sherwyn Greaves said that the ministry wants to guarantee that the implementation of this particular project is as transparent as possible so that there are no concerns about corruption as having already been raised.
This assistance forms part of the government’s push toward developing the housing sector. At the building expo, it was also announced that the local commercial banks have agreed to slash the interest rate for housing and building loans up to $9 million to 3.8 per cent.
