Dear Editor,
Kindly permit me space in your letter column to publish my missive. Last week the People’s Progressive Party/Civic celebrated its first year in office. The government has, over the last year, failed to address the needs of the Guyanese people even as it continues to focus on frivolous matters and cheap politicking while the people of this country continue to suffer. It has been one year of hampers and promises. Nonetheless, Editor, I wish to focus on the government’s housing programme.
In the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic 2020 Manifesto, on page 36, under the captioned “Affordable Housing,” this is what the Introduc-tion said: “Hallmarks of PPP/C governments have been the housing program providing affordable housing to all Guyanese. The PPP/C developed and distributed 112,766 house lots to Guyanese families, 80% of which went to low-income families.” Further, they claimed “Under the APNU+AFC, no new housing schemes have been established and construction has slowed in existing schemes and the following promises were made for the housing sector, these include but are not limited to – create 10,000 house lots annually, invest in support infrastructure in existing and new housing schemes, reverse VAT on building materials, facilitate affordable financing for home ownership, promote home ownership, particularly among youths and young professionals, through tax and other incentives, promote partnerships and incentivize private sector involvement in the sector. Within its first year, the government has thus far boasted of allocating six thousand (6000) house lots – a clear shortfall from the ambitious ‘10,000’ mark.
Editor, the PPP/C regime has highlighted its housing plan for the two decades – as ambitious as it may be – it shows that a foundation was set and left behind by the APNU+AFC government. Editor, when the Coalition took office in May 2015, our medium-term goal for the housing sector was “to improve the quality of life through the provision of adequate and affordable housing solutions,” while the PPP/C regime (in their 2020 Manifesto) accused the “APNU+AFC of not developing new housing schemes. This is far from the truth! The APNU+AFC records speaks for itself! While we did not enjoy a full term in office, the Central Housing and Planning Authority through the Ministry of Communities was able to accomplish the following in spite of the challenges and constraints in the Housing Sector inherited from the previous PPP/C government whose failed policies and programmes were geared not to favour women, youths, public servants, single mothers, the elderly, persons with disabilities and low income earners, but rather friends, families and cronies… a typical example being the “Pradoville 2 fiasco.”
The CORE challenges facing Guyana’s housing programme are as follows:
● Cost of financing
● Inadequate public infrastructure and services
● The need for strategic planning
● Low take up in housing schemes
● The need for a revision of the current configuration of processing applications
Editor, it is an understatement by the PPP/C regime to say that the APNU+AFC government developed “No New Housing Schemes.” Well, as the last sitting Minister with responsibility for Housing under the David Granger Administration, let me highlight the accomplishments of the Housing Sector for May 2015 to May 2020, twenty-one (21) New Housing areas were established, namely:
1.0 HOUSING AREAS
Housing units were allocated in the following areas: Perservance, EBD, Onderneeming, WBD, Experiment, WCB, Amelia’s Ward, Linden and Prospect, EBD. The Central Housing and Planning Authority through the Ministry of Communities, then in 2019, was able to acquire lands and made advancement payments to the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission in the following areas:
Editor, there are in excess of three hundred housing areas incomplete across regions, which require road upgrades. The Coalition Government assessed the cost implications to have the works done in these areas and it would have cost the government close to $50 billion dollars. The PPP/C regime has failed tremendously in moving the housing sector in the past and they will continue with their old habits and ways of doing business. Many have reported that people have started to compromise the system, where persons desperate for an allocation are paying in excess of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) to process their applications. Like other Ministries, the PPP/C government pre-May 2015 had no plan nor roadmap for the housing sector and I can guess there is none, but Guyanese are being plagued with imaginary dreams by this regime and should be mindful and careful of their failed policies and programmes for the housing sector. In conclusion, a clear comparison of the two governments’ policies for the housing sector, I do believe that the Coalition government had a better plan for housing, since we were building and creating wholesome and cohesive communities, rather than “bush lots”. A classic model is the Perseverance area on the East Bank Demerara, just take a tour.
Sincerely,
Annette Ferguson M.P
APNU+AFC
