The Opposition’s motion calling for the creation of a Special Select Committee to review charges for house lots for Guyanese was on Friday afternoon defeated in the National Assembly after government MPs voted against it.
The motion was presented by APNU+AFC Parliamentarian, Annette Ferguson, and according to her, such a committee would help stakeholders to better understand challenges within the housing sector.
In her presentation of the motion she noted that once the committee is established then “we will be able to make recommendations that we need better quality assurance so that when the government is building houses, our people must have a strong and quality house to live in because it is not easy Sir, to take out a loan and having to repair a home.”
Based on the motion, if established after completion of the necessary work the Special Select Committee would then submit a detailed report to the National Assembly including recommendations and then request it be approved for the Ministry of Housing and Water to include in its policies going forward.
Ferguson questioned, “Mr. Speaker with a population size of less than one million Guyanese why is it difficult to acquire a piece of land hassle free? Why do our citizens have to endure years of waiting just to be allocated a house lot? And why those exorbitant prices for a piece of house lot?”
However, in opposing the motion, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal stressed that there was a lack of evidence supporting the claims that the ministry’s policies were responsible for the financial constraints faced by Guyanese.
Calling the motion “quite confusing”, Croal said that it is flawed since it begins with vague speculation and crashes to an illogical conclusion which is mindboggling. He said, the motion is one of “just words that spring together.”
“The motion makes several claims and then it sets blame on the Ministry of Housing and Water and the Central Housing and Planning Authority without providing evidence that any policy on our part is responsible for that, and I quote ‘financial constraints’ that you, honourable member, Ferguson, claims.”
Croal then stressed that the government’s housing drive has been a comprehensive one which covers in new and existing housing schemes the development and construction of roads, bridges, drainage, electricity, access to potable water and green spaces, religious buildings and even health facilities and centres.
Meanwhile, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh who also opposed the motion, called it unnecessary. He stated, that upon reading through the motion there aren’t any resolve clauses “that have anything to do with the reviewing of charges for house lots” instead he said that the motion calls on the National Assembly to approve a Special Select Committee to examine “this matter, to engage with civil society, financers and other stakeholders to submit proposals and recommendations and that the Special Select Committee should submit its work to this house.”
Singh then added, that “We don’t need a committee to engage with stakeholders in society” stressing that the government is engaging stakeholders every day around the country, “a single day does not pass.”
He then advised that the Opposition can consider setting up a committee to also engage stakeholders and “get ideas” while the government continues to work to build every sector and area countrywide.
