Dear Editor,
I have a house lot at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, allotted to me by the Housing Ministry. Owing to age and ill health I sought the Housing Minister‘s approval to have the said house lot transferred jointly to my eldest son and myself, so I paid the necessary fee and got the written permission and took it to my lawyer to have the legal work done.
At present almost everything is set for the passing of the joint transport, but what is needed is a letter from the Tuschen NDC saying I do not owe the said NDC rates and taxes.
In the month of June I called the Tuschen NDC and spoke to the overseer telling her who I am and what I need. She in turn told me that that part of Tuschen where my house lot is, is not yet in the jurisdiction of the NDC and as such she cannot say how much I owe. Well, I requested that she give me a letter to that effect to take to my lawyer and she then told me the NDC cannot issue such letter and I have to go to the Ministry of Housing.
Of course that did not sound right to me so I called the Region 3 regional office on the matter, and was advised to go and talk to one Ms McDonald who is the housing officer at the Region 3 office. On July 6, I went over to the Region 3 office to see Ms McDonald, only to learn that she was not at work that day and I would have to see her assistant. It so happened, however, that the assistant had gone to the hospital and would return shortly.
After waiting for about an hour-and-a-half the assistant returned and she gave the same answer as the overseer at Tuschen – go to the Housing Ministry. I subsequently asked to speak to the Regional Chairman, and when I spoke to him I got the selfsame answer.
What I cannot understand is why a senior minister should be involved in such a trivial matter; why can‘t the Tuschen NDC or regional office issue a simple letter? I am not asking for another piece of land; I am not one to owe rates and taxes. When that part of Tuschen is regularized I will pay the necessary rates, so why should one letter with a few lines stall a whole process?
Yours faithfully,
Wendell P George
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Minister of Housing, Mr Irfaan Ally for any comment he might wish to make.
