Forty Agreements of Sale were on Tuesday handed over to residents of Coomacka, Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region Ten), by newly appointed Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams, in fulfilment of a promise made by her predecessor.
A release from the Ministry of the Presidency said that former Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had on February 23 handed over 200 allocation letters to residents, paving the way for surveys to be conducted and the Agreements of Sale to be issued.
The 40 agreements handed over by Hastings-Williams, therefore, was just the beginning of Government’s fulfilment of the commitment made to the residents, and the Minister indicated that she will return to the community to hand over the others.
Once the documents are signed, residents, some of whom have been occupying the lands for approximately six decades, can then be issued land titles.
“Former Minister [of State] Harmon made a commitment to you all and today we have delivered. We are a Government who just don’t make promises, but we follow up on them and then deliver,” Hastings-Williams said.
Also present at the handover was Minister of Public Service, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, who assured residents that Government has listened to their concerns and is working to ensure that the community is regularised.
“What this Government has tried to do and is trying to accomplish, is to ensure that you all have a piece of paper for your land in your hands so that if you have to have to go to the bank or anything, you have that. At the end of the day, you will now have a title to a [plot of] land that you are living on,” Sarabo-Halley said.
Meanwhile, residents who were in receipt of their sales agreements expressed gratitude to the Government.
“I am feeling very happy today receiving this paper because I have waited over 15 years for this. This is something special for me and this entire community and now I have something that I can leave for my children and grand-children. I would like to thank the Government for this initiative,” said health worker, Bernadette Torres.
Wendy Wagner, a teacher, said she has been waiting since 2005, when the last survey was done, to gain the opportunity to own title to the land. “Today, I am really happy that this process is continuing because it tells me that we are finally heading somewhere and we are progressing. As a resident, I am proud of that and I want say thanks to Minister Harmon and the Government at large because we are very happy that we haven’t been forgotten,” Wagner stated.
Resident Shenelly Brimmer said the agreements will empower residents to improve their quality of life. “I have been waiting for quite some years and I am so happy and proud and it is not just me, but every resident you see here. We can finally start the process of improving our lives. I would like to thank Government for moving this process forward and giving us the opportunity to have a title for our lands in our hands,” she stated.
Senior resident, Jean Wagner, related that she has been occupying the land for over 60 years but was never given the opportunity to own it.
Earlier this week, ministers of Government travelled to Region 10, where they engaged residents at its regional outreach and during several community meetings.
DPI reported that Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock, Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, along with Minister Hastings-Williams, said the Government had renewed its mandate of engaging residents and as such, a team of ministers were on the ground to determine the development needs of the community.
“We are here to find out what your needs are, because we do not believe in sitting in our offices or rocking back and deciding what Coomacka needs. You have to be the ones to tell us what it is that you need,” Hastings-Williams said.
