Persons will experience a dynamic shift when conducting business in the housing and construction sector following the passage of the Single Window Systems Bill passed last week in the National Assembly, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal has said.
Minister Croal said this new legislation not only makes conducting business hassle free but also eliminates the possibility of corruption.
“This is the dynamic change we are talking about, versus [when] you have to go to the office, speak to some official, sit and wait then have to follow up on your own because CHPA is waiting on the local authority to respond.
“The one stop place will be CHPA. It [applications] goes there and then it simultaneously goes to the relevant agencies, the feedback is provided hence the approval follows,” the subject minister said.
The law aims to ease the burdensome planning process by introducing a single-window electronic processing system by enhancing business efficiency.
The updated legislation will see business transactions being done in a timely and transparent manner. But more importantly, it eliminates the need for persons to make trips to various agencies for one transaction to be completed, therefore lessening the chances of persons being exploited.
“It’s predictability, eliminating subjectivity because someone doesn’t like you then they will say your application probably has to wait long on the desk.
“It removes all of that, removes the aspect of political favoritism, political sabotage and in some cases corruption because somebody thinks that they have a duty to do and you have to give them something to do that,” Minister Croal explained.
The legislation now includes provisions for the establishment of a Planning Oversight Committee, which will centralize functions related to land-use preparation and development. It also aims to define the committee’s responsibilities and associated matters.
Several agencies that will become part of the single window are the Central Board of Health, the Ministry of Public Works, the River and Defence Board, Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, National Trust of Guyana, Guyana Office for Investment, Land and registry Deeds registry, Guyana Water Incorporated, all Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and the local authorities, inclusive of the municipalities among other agencies.
