A lease has been issued to the Qatar Assets Group Inc. for the development of the US$300 million Georgetown Seafront Resort and Convention Centre on the controversial lands at Carifesta Avenue.
The lands in question encompass the Guyana National Service (GNS) and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) sports grounds, which the City Council claims as municipal property. However, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) maintains that the lands are state-owned.
The lease was confirmed by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh yesterday. In a written response to APNU+AFC Member of Parliament David Patterson, Singh also clarified that no concessional agreements were signed between the government and Qatar Assets Group or its subsidiaries for the use of the grounds. He also stated that the developer has submitted an application for environmental clearance to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In response to another question from Patterson, Singh said that the “current scope” of the project does not extend beyond the GNS and NIS grounds. Patterson had asked whether the final scope of the project would include additional spaces namely the National Park and the St Stanislaus College Sports Ground.
City Mayor Alfred Mentore has repeatedly called for meetings with the government and the Qatari group on the issue however to date no meeting has been held. Speaking in February, Mentore stressed the need for feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments (EIAs) before granting approval for the project. “We are not anti-developmental… but several procedures have to be followed. No one from the government nor the Qatari company submitted a feasibility study nor environmental impact assessment to us,” he said, emphasizing the need for compliance with building codes and the consideration of impacts on residents, terrestrial, and aquatic life.
In June, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) had planned a statutory meeting to facilitate a presentation by Qatar Assets Group. At the time, Mentore asserted, “We have proven title on this property,” claiming that the council owned the land. However, the GLSC disputed this claim, citing legal records and historical surveys.
The GLSC referenced Transport Number 235 of 1863 and an 1886 survey, which it said confirmed state ownership of 240.5 acres of Plantation Thomas. While the City Council argued that the land was assigned to it by the estate of Quintin Hogg, the GLSC stated that only five acres were transferred to Hogg, leaving the rest under state control.
In September again, Mentore called for urgent discussions with the government and Qatar Assets Group to clarify the project’s direction, vowing to reach out within days. Despite this, no meeting has occurred. PPP/C Councillor Alfonso De Armas last week confirmed that there has been no update since the statutory meeting was planned. Efforts to contact Mentore for an update have been unsuccessful.
