‘Don’t engage in any illegal activity’- Rodrigues urge house lot applicants

Persons interested in acquiring a house lots are being urged to follow the “legitimate” process and not offer bribes.

“Nobody should be frustrating you; nobody should be approaching you to do you a favour by helping you for some financial gain to them personally for your house lot,” Susan Rodrigues, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water said on Friday.

“The Ministry of Housing is ready to address your applications up to 2019…You do not need to engage in any illegal activity,” Rodrigues said. She was addressing residents of Region Three who were gathered at the Ministry’s first “Dream Realised” housing drive for the year.

She said the Ministry continues to carry out a zero-tolerance approach against corrupt practice in the acquisition of a house lot.

The PPP/C government had promised in its 2020 elections manifesto to deliver 50,000 house lots by 2025.

Already, more than 30,000 house lots have been distributed across the country.

The Ministry has been faced with allegations of corruption involving some of its staff members.

“You do not need to be pressured by any stranger or by any staff or by anybody to pay them to acquire your house lot and I want people to understand that,” Rodrigues said.

She said that all applications will be addressed “legitimately” and “transparently” though the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) and by extension, the Ministry of Housing and Water.