The Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday noted that no information has been publicised regarding the Government’s Urban Renewal Plan or the process employed in supposedly transferring ownership of lands on Carifesta Avenue to be utilised for the construction of a Qatari hotel.
“The AFC notes that no information has been made publicly available about either the Government’s Urban Renewal Plan or the process to be employed in transferring ownership,” the party stated in a release.
It was also noted that the government is in discussion with a company from Qatar to dispose of lands on Carifesta Avenue – namely NIS and GNS grounds, for the construction of a hotel and boardwalk, on the basis that these lands are State Lands.
The lands were assigned by the estate of Quintin Hogg in 1887 to the city of Georgetown with the covenant that they be used for recreational purposes. This was later amended to allow educational institutions. So far the government has not adverted to any discussions with the city about these grounds.
The AFC has demanded that the disposal of any state lands, particularly in prime locations, be done in an “open and transparent manner.”
“Recall that several officers under the APNU+AFC government have been charged for allegedly disposing of state properties at below claimed market value. Should the disposal of these properties, not be done openly and transparently, similar charges will be levelled on all officers based on the precedence established by the current government,” the release read.
The party opined that any claims by the government that the value of the lands has been set by the Valuation Department should be taken with a pinch of salt.
It stated that all market values previously established by this agency have been disputed – notably the lands acquired for the Wales Gas-to-Shore project as well as for New Demerara Harbour Bridge.
According to the AFC, a Current Market Value is determined by what the market (that is the persons or companies interested in purchasing these lands) would be willing to pay.
In the case brought against former Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, the AFC recounted that the PPP Government claimed that 2.5 acres of land, in the Kingston area, which was sold to a private individual was worth more than $5 billion.
The party affirmed that the country now expects that these grounds, covering some 13.2 acres, and which are five times larger than the disputed Kingston property, will be valued with the same base acreage rate.
Stabroek News on February 11 reported that the Qatari investor who plans to build a hotel on Carifesta Avenue which will have access to a boardwalk along the seawall from Camp Road to the Kitty roundabout, will do so on the Guyana National Service (GNS) and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) grounds.
At the Private Sector Commission’s 31st anniversary dinner held at the Marriott Hotel last December, President Irfaan Ali announced that a Qatari company was interested in building a hotel and boardwalk, north of Carifesta Avenue.
Ali did not name the investor or company but said that the project would begin sometime this year and that it ties in with his government’s Urban Renewal Plan for the country.
“We’ll see the Urban Renewal Plan which involves the building of the massive hotel, conference and entertainment facility along Carifesta, commencing next year. These are investments from a Qatari group. A massive facility that will commence next year,” the President said.
