Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues on Tuesday reminded of the government’s policy which allows for only one house lot to be obtained by each citizen.
No citizen should be allowed to purchase from the State a second plot of land or property if they have already received one. Notwithstanding, Rodrigues said other avenues remain available for persons to secure multiple plots of land for other ventures.
A person can even buy a second plot of land for residential purposes from private developers but that option is not available when buying directly through the Ministry of Housing and Water – Central Housing and Planning Authority.
“Don’t box yourself in,” Rodrigues told one man who lives and works on lease lands along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway from the Lands and Surveys Commission.
As the minister engaged residents on the planned development of Silica City aback Kuru Kururu, residents who are to be removed from farmlands there, enquired about the possibility of also securing house lots, some even interested in securing land in Silica City – Guyana’s first smart urban centre.
“If you own land already or a property already, you are not entitled to a second one,” the minister said but noted that negotiations will be flexible.
“Even though we have that policy, that doesn’t prevent somebody from applying to Lands and Surveys and get a lease for agriculture or some other purpose,” she further explained.
Rodrigues believes that owning several plots of land, through legal means, can advance economic activities in communities and help to tackle many of social ills
“Don’t create hurdles for yourself that don’t exist, we will work and ensure everyone is satisfied.”
Similarly, she is advocating against the extension of squatting settlements throughout the country, noting that this behaviour oftentimes complicates the process of ensuring citizens are granted house lots.
“The haphazard occupation of land that has taken place… you might think the government is addressing the situation or not regularising your community and there can be several reasons for that.”
The minister explained that if a land is privately owned or owned by another state agency, there is nothing the Ministry of Housing and Water can do.
“Every area is different. We have to first determine who owns the land, then we got to go through acquisition process and an assessment of the land to see if it can be regularised and is suitable for residential lots.”
Rodrigues reminded that in 1992, the PPP/C found over 200 squatter settlements and was able to regularise some 175 of those.
But the work is not done.
Some 50,000 house lots are expected to be distributed by the end of Dr. Irfaan Ali’s first term as President and the government has said it is well on its way to achieving that.
