‘One Stop Shop’, a Ministry of Housing programme which aims at removing the red tape involved in the acquisition of house lots, was taken to the Linmine Constabulary Hall, Linden last week.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release, hundreds of Region ten residents flocked the ministry’s fourth ‘One Stop Shop’ outreach.
Approximately 1,000 house lots were available for allocation to Lindeners. Minister of Housing Irfaan Ali explained that the team will first work on the backlog of house lots applications and work to their way to the recent.
He also said that the government has lobbied successfully with New Building Society this year to reduce its interest rate for loans to build low income homes. Potential home owners will now have access to a $4 million loan at an interest rate of 4.9 percent, Ali stated.
The outreach commenced on March 30, GINA said, and has seen significant response from citizens. Three earlier outreaches conducted in Regions Three, Four and Six resulted in the processing of over 3,000 transactions as it relates to the allocation of house lots and titles.
This newest initiative, Ali said, is designed to improve the ministry’s services through “direct interface” with the people. The Housing Ministry’s objective he said is to develop; process and allocate more than 17,000 house lots by December 2010. The focus will be on areas which have a demand for housing; this includes Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and Ten.
Further, the Ministry of Housing has realized that many cannot afford to make full payments for land. A payment structure has since been implemented to assist potential home owners.
The minister, GINA said, noted that squatting is also a continuous issue in Region Ten. Approximately 20 squatter settlements were identified during field work conducted by the ministry. Nine of those areas are to be transferred from Linmine to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA).
“Let us work together to avoid squatting…squatting brings with it a number of social issued that affect the development of people in the communities,” Ali said.
He explained that squatting prevents the Housing Ministry from implementing infrastructure until the squatting area has been regularized. Ali encouraged the Lindeners to join with the ministry “in stemming the issue of squatting”.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CHPA Myrna Pitt who was present at the fourth “One Stop Shop’ said that the Amelia’s Ward, Phase One water distribution network was recently completed.
The CHPA, according to the CEO, is currently executing a $120 million road project in Phase Two of Amelia’s Ward. Projects for further water distribution networks and electricity that cost $133 million have also started and will be completed this year. She also said that $420 million will be spent in Phase Two of the programme, during 2010 to 2011, to complete infrastructure while $400 million will be spent in Amelia’s Ward Phase Three to provide infrastructure.
Pitt urged residents with allocations to have their house plans drawn and to complete the necessary preparatory work for their house construction.
The current level of occupancy in Wisroc, she noted, is below the desired level and she urged residents to occupy their lots.
A one-stop management has also been implemented in Georgetown, Pitt said, and applicants will be able to have their applications processed in real time and interviews conducted in one visit.
Regional Vice-chairman Samuel Hooper welcomed the government’s initiative to Linden, GINA said.
