Dear Editor,
I’m writing in order to get a reduction in the price that I paid for my house lot located in what is popularly known as the Remigrant Scheme in Providence. The price of the land is overvalued and unreasonable. The previous government took advantage of those of us from the diaspora with our generosity and zeal to return home and rebuild Guyana. The PPP/C discriminated against remigrants by overcharging us for the land while undercharging the PPP government ministers and friends in Pradoville2.
While Mr Jagdeo paid $7. 5M for 1.5 acres of prime real estate with an ocean view, I paid $7M for 1/4 of an acre. This is not fair treatment of the diaspora whose members returned to give back to Guyana, and it’ll discourage people from returning home. And those who returned home may feel cheated and want to leave Guyana again.
And since certain former officials were allowed to sell their land and property for millions in less than 10 years without a penalty, I want to be able to sell my land and property in less than 10 years without a penalty.
As a remigrant, patriot and citizen of this great nation, all I’m asking is to be given the same fundamental rights and conditions that were given to the previous government ministers. Having already paid down on the land and started building, I’m waiting on the new government to construct roads, drains and install water mains and electrical lines, which were promised many, many months ago by the PPP.
There were also some irregularities where the allocation of house lots was concerned, and I dare anyone in the opposition to say it was not true. If ministers want the evidence, I encourage them to do an inventory of the house lots currently sold in the Remigrant Scheme and they will see who has the biggest lots. Yet, the previous government says the distribution of the lands was done fairly.
Yours faithfully,
Anthony Pantlitz
